Veterans located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia often have to travel long distances for affordable health care. A new initiative spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, entitled the Veterans Choice Program, is hoping to be the solution to this issue.
According to Eastern Shore News, the program lets local qualified veterans get medical care from a variety of nearby doctors to save them a trip to Veterans Affairs facilities, which are all located a significant distance from the Eastern Shore. With Virginia's veteran population quickly growing, establishing updated health care standards was a top priority for state officials, reported the source. Much of the new initiative is being supported by The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which provides the VA with $10 million to spend on private health care for veterans between now and 2017.
In order to qualify for the VCP, former servicemembers must fall into at least one of a few guidelines established by the VA. They must have either been put on a wait list of 30 days or longer despite a medically significant date issued to them by their doctor or face a number of transportation and geographical obstacles. If veterans need to take a boat or plane to the nearest VA institution or live at least 40 miles away from the closest facility, they qualify for the program. Since the veterans of the Eastern Shore are located so far away from VA health care, they are automatically approved for the government-funded initiative.
"Individuals on the Eastern Shore have to travel quite a distance to receive their care, either up to the north or over to the south, to Hampton, and as you all know, there can be long waits – and we found that inexcusable," Northam stated at a kick-off discussion for the much-anticipated program.