Director of Government Affairs James McCormick, Vietnam Veterans of America, Dec. 10, 2024 in Silver Spring, Md. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — James McCormick, an Iraq War veteran, waited 11 months to see an eye doctor at the Huntington VA Medical Center in West Virginia after booking an appointment for his annual checkup in 2023.
But 72 hours before McCormick’s scheduled visit in April 2024, he received an automated text from the hospital canceling his appointment. There was no explanation or follow-up information to reschedule.
McCormick, a 56-year-old retired Army captain who has used health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades, said he quickly pivoted to finding a private eye doctor close to home. He saw a doctor the same week that he made the appointment.
“I am more than willing to take my place in line for care at the Huntington VA,” said McCormick, government affairs director at the Vietnam Veterans of America. “I just need to know where the end of the line is. I did not get that from the VA.”
The Vietnam Veterans of America, which has nearly 100,000 members nationwide, is among several veterans organizations lining up to support the Complete the Mission Act, which directs the VA to disclose expected wait times for appointments, reasons for cancellations and options to reschedule at the VA or with a non-VA clinician in the private sector.
Demand for community care has been rising 15% yearly since passage of the Mission Act of 2018. About 40% of health care in 2023 was provided in the community, according to Congress.
The Complete the Mission Act aims to ensure the VA is informing veterans about alternative, private-sector care when care at the VA is not available in a timely manner, said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., who introduced the legislation recently.
A House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on the bill is scheduled for Dec. 17.
The legislation would mandate the VA inform veterans seeking health care appointments about the availability of non-VA care. It also would codify existing VA standards for making referrals to non-VA care, Bost said.
Bost, who is chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said the VA needs to be more “transparent” with veterans about eligibility standards for health care in the private sector.
Wait times for VA care must not exceed 20 days for primary care and mental health services based on VA standards. The wait for an appointment to see a VA specialist cannot exceed a month without a referral to private-sector health care.
The VA will cover the cost of care delivered by private clinicians who are registered with the VA health care network.
McCormick said he not only supports the legislation because of his own frustrations trying to access routine services at the West Virginia VA hospital but also because his organization is hearing from a growing number of Vietnam veterans with similar complaints.
Veterans using VA facilities across the country are raising concerns about appointment delays, cancelations and other obstacles to accessing medical care in a timely manner, he said.
“We need a sit-down-at-the-dinner-table discussion with the VA about why this system is not fully functioning everywhere,” said McCormick, whose military career included 14 years in the Army followed by eight years in the Army National Guard.
Critical staff shortages at VA medical facilities are contributing to even longer waits and more cancelations, according to the House VA Committee.
Under the Complete the Mission Act, veterans will be able to go online to schedule routine VA medical appointments as well as visits with non-VA clinicians registered with the VA community care network.
Though veterans can now use an app to schedule many basic VA appointments, the legislation would expand those options to include more specialty areas at the VA and options for care with non-VA clinicians. The legislation also requires the VA to inform veterans about how they can appeal when the VA refuses to provide a referral for private sector care.
Bost sponsored the Mission Act of 2018, which for the first time enabled veterans to see non-VA doctors when care was not readily available at VA hospitals and clinics.
“The Mission Act transformed the delivery of health care to veterans across the nation, especially in rural and remote areas of the country,” he said.
But VA leaders have warned the popularity of community care is shifting funds from VA facilities.
Denis McDonough, the VA secretary, said at a House hearing in May that referrals for non-VA community care need to be “based on quality outcomes and not just a question of convenience. I want us to compete apple to apple with community providers. We strive to have a conversation with veterans every time they seek a referral for community care what is available in the VA system.”
The VA is “over-utilizing community care to address veterans’ health care needs rather than investing in internal capacity,” said Kristina Keenan, deputy director for national legislative services at the Veterans for Foreign Wars.
McCormick said the VA needs to do a better job managing its existing resources.
“They just need to get veterans the care they need when they need it,” he said.
Bost’s bill would require VA hospitals and clinics to inform veterans about how long they will have to wait to see a clinician prior to the appointment being booked. Facilities also would have to post their average wait times based on specialty practice.
The Complete the Mission Act also would establish a uniform screening process at VA hospitals for qualifying veterans with serious mental health problems and a substance abuse disorder for inpatient care.
The legislation would create a three-year pilot program allowing veterans who’ve undergone the screening process to enter a private treatment program when VA care is not readily available.
McCormick said it is a priority of his organization to ensure veterans receive timely and efficient care.
“It’s vital to have a functional VA system that is uniform across the nation,” he said.
