United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-10-25 monographic deposited born digital 28 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-97-7 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7 P0b002ee180382d78 f:he97007 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7 HEHS-97-7 Veterans benefits Patient care services Health services administration Veterans hospitals Health centers Community health services Eligibility criteria Statutory law Persons with disabilities Health care cost control VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Medicare Program Medicaid Program Letter Report HEHS

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) efforts to establish health care access points to provide outpatient care for veterans who are geographically distant from VA hospitals.<p/>GAO found that: (1) about one-half of all veterans live more than 25 miles from a VA hospital; (2) VA draft guidance states that the intent of access points is to primarily enroll users who find it difficult to travel to a VA facility due to location or medical condition, but VA does not have statutory authority to provide primary care through its access points; (3) VA has specific statutory authority to contract for medical care when its facilities cannot provide necessary services; (4) the types of services available and the classes of veterans eligible for care under this authority is limited; (5) if health care access points are established in conformance with this authority, VA would need to limit the types of services provided to all veterans, except those with service-connected disabilities; (6) nine VA hospitals have funded new clinics by using money saved from hospital-based staff reductions and other hospital-based efficiencies, but most VA hospital directors believe it would be more cost-effective to contract for care in targeted locations than to operate new access points; and (7) VA success in improving veterans' health status and reducing the need for specialty and inpatient care depends on the availability of resources, veterans' willingness to use VA hospitals or VA-sponsored services, and providers' willingness to contract with VA hospitals. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7.pdf GAO/HEHS-97-7 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-7 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-97-7; VA Health Care: Improving Veterans' Access Poses Financial and Mission-Related Challenges; Veterans benefits Patient care services Health services administration Veterans hospitals Health centers Community health services Eligibility criteria Statutory law Persons with disabilities Health care cost control VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Medicare Program Medicaid Program Title 38 Section 1703 Title 38 Section 8153 38 U.S.C. 1703 38 U.S.C. 8153 Public Law 104-262