Program to expire that allows veterans living in remote areas to receive local medical care

The Veterans Health Administration is ending a pilot program that allows veterans who live at least one hour from a VA health facility to get health care services from a community provider, Bryan Thompson reports for Kansas Public Radio. The program, called Access Received Closer to Home, is used in Northern Maine; Farmville, Va.; Pratt, Kan.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Billings, Mont.

In a letter to acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson senators from the states wrote: “For reasons we do not understand, the Veterans Health Administration is choosing—at VHA’s own initiative—to end this successful program despite the more than 90 percent satisfaction rate communicated by veterans. All along, the VHA gave us the impression that they were waiting on analysis about the success of ARCH to inform their decision about extending the program—this is a misleading storyline at best. We are deeply disappointed by this breach of trust because those who suffer from this recklessness are veterans.” (Read more)