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GAO-16-301R 1 (2015-12-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadrug0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 B-327617 December 11, 2015 The Honorable Johnny Isakson Chairman The Honorable Richard Blumenthal Ranking Member Committee on Veterans' Affairs United States Senate The Honorable Jeff Miller Chairman The Honorable Corrine Brown Ranking Member Committee on Veterans' Affairs House of Representatives Subject: Department of Veterans Affairs: Expanded Access to Non-VA Care Through the Veterans Choice Program Pursuant to section 801(a)(2)(A) of title 5, United States Code, this is our report on a major rule promulgated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entitled Expanded Access to Non-VA Care Through the Veterans Choice Program (RIN: 2900-AP60). We received the rule on November 30, 2015. It was published in the Federal Register as an interim final rule on December 1, 2015. 80 Fed. Reg. 74,991. The interim final rule revises medical regulations that implement section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (the Choice Act), which requires VA to establish a program to furnish hospital care and medical services through eligible non-VA health care providers to eligible veterans who either cannot be seen within the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or who qualify based on their place of residence (referred to as the Veterans Choice Program or the Program). These regulatory revisions are required by the most recent amendments to the Choice Act made by the Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act of 2014, and by the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015. The Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act of 2014 amended the Choice Act to define additional criteria that VA may use to determine that a veteran's travel to a VA medical facility is an unusual or excessive burden, and the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 amended the Choice Act to cover all veterans enrolled in the VA health care system, remove the 60-day limit on an episode of care, modify the wait-time and 40-mile distance eligibility criteria, and expand provider eligibility based on criteria as determined by VA. VA states that the interim final rule revises VA regulations consistent with the changes made to the Choice Act as described above. GAO-1 6-301 R