The US healthcare system is undergoing certain changes, and new transformations are on their way. One of the most recent changes to the existing regulations cannot be regarded as a dramatic reform, but it will have a considerable impact on a particular group of people. The amendments to the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 were introduced in April 2017. The changes focus on the increase of veteran’s access to healthcare services.
The bill became a public law # 115-26 on April 19, 2017 (Congress, 2017). The sponsor of the law, Senator Jon Tester, introduced the law on July 3, 2017. The senator is a Democrat and serves on a number of committees including the Veteran’s Affairs Committees. The new law amends the act to eliminate the sunset data of the Veterans Choice Program that was identified in the act. The program will end when the funds are completely expended. The bill also changes the primary payer. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be the primary payer. The VA will be allowed to share medical data with federal agencies and private entities that provide healthcare services. Importantly, these entities and agencies are not allowed to disclose the data to any third parties for purposes other than those for which the disclosure of medical data was made.
The bill is a response to numerous flaws in the Act of 2014. It has been found that on average 20 veterans commit suicides each day (Frazee, 2017). This high rate of suicidal behavior among veterans is associated with long waiting times and limited access to healthcare services. The need for change was acknowledged in 2014 when Americans learned about VA’s manipulations with waiting lines as well as the number of deaths of veterans caused by the untimely provision of healthcare services (Moran & McCain, 2017). The Act of 2014 was to address this problem, but it had a number of flaws.
The amendments address the flaws as the bill ensures a wider access to healthcare services for eligible veterans. First, the program will not end in August 2017 as noted in the Act which will help more people to benefit from the program. The status of the first payer expands the VA’s abilities to provide funding to help more people. Finally, the ability to disclose medical data will contribute to the reduction of waiting time. Such vulnerable group as American veterans will have a wider access to high-quality (and, more importantly, timely) healthcare services. As for the potential benefits of the bill, it is possible to stress that veterans will be able to receive high-quality healthcare services when they need them, which will save millions of peoples’ lives. Moreover, healthcare facilities will also be able to develop and improve as they will treat more patients and gain valuable experience.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the bill in question can have a significant impact on the development of the American healthcare system. The veterans will be able to access high-quality healthcare services at more facilities, which will be associated with reduced waiting times, better health outcomes for veterans, the participation of more healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals in the program, and increased satisfaction with the healthcare system among Americans. Of course, there are still various gaps to be fulfilled, but the new bill addresses the most urgent issues.
References
Congress. (2017). S.544 – A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes.
Frazee, G. (2017). Can President Trump keep his promises to veterans? PBS.
Moran, J., & McCain, J. (2017). Sens. Moran and McCain: A great day for veterans and Veterans Choice. Fox News.