Dateline: April 28, 2015 

In an effort to make its Veterans Choice Program available to more veterans, the Veterans Administration has begun basing eligibility for the program on the actual driving distance from the veteran’s home to the nearest VA facility rather than on a straight-line, “as the crow flies” distance.

The growingly-popular Veterans Choice Program allows eligible veterans to get VA-covered medical care from non-VA health care providers, hospitals and clinics rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Among other special situations, veterans who live more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility qualify for the program. When the program was first launched, the 40 miles was measured based on a straight line distance from the veteran’s home to the VA facility.

The VA estimates that changing the method used to calculate the 40 miles distance from straight-line to actual driving distance will almost double the number of veterans eligible for the program.

Shortly after the Veterans Choice Program was launched in November 2014, the straight-line 40 mile distance calculation method was harshly criticized by veterans advocacy groups and veterans who lived closer than 40 “as the crow flies” miles to a VA facility, but had to actually drive much longer distances to get there because of winding roads or geographic features like mountains, rivers and lakes.

“VA is pleased to announce the distance calculation change from straight-line to driving distance for the Veterans Choice Program,” said Secretary Robert McDonald in a press release.

“This update to the program will allow more Veterans to access care when and where they want it. We look forward to continued dialogue with veterans and our partners to help us ensure continued improvements for veterans' to access care.”

It should be noted, however, that the mileage measurement change does nothing to help those veterans who live within 40 driving-distance miles of a VA clinic or hospital that does not provide the specific services their condition requires. For example, many smaller VA facilities do not provide psychiatric or specialized orthopedic care.

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The VA is sending letters to those veterans who are now eligible for Veterans Choice due to the distance calculation change. “If a Veteran does not remember receiving a Veterans Choice Card or has other questions about the Choice Program, they can call (866) 606-8198,” noted the VA in a press release.

In addition, the VA has changed the mileage calculation for beneficiary travel. The beneficiary travel calculation is now being made using the fastest route instead of the shortest route to the nearest VA medical facility.

In April 2015, the VA disagreed with an Associated Press report claiming that even after instituting “major reforms costing billions of dollars,” including Veterans Choice, the VA had made no progress at all in reducing the number of veterans experiencing excessive wait times for appointments at VA facilities.

While conceding that “some Veterans still wait too long for appointments,” the VA claimed to have data showing that “in many parts of the country,” the VA provides treatment that is “as fast, or even faster, than the Veterans could receive in the private sector.”

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