The agency is eliminating copayments for all telehealth encounters and putting more money into a controversial program that creates telehealth stations for veterans in remote and rural areas.
The largest telehealth provider in the country is proposing to eliminate copayments and expand a controversial program that provides access to care in rural and remote regions through telehealth stations.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Veterans Day that it aims to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Healthcare Improvement Act of 2019 to end all copayment obligations for veterans, greatly expanding a decision earlier this year to waive copayments for a veteran’s first three outpatient mental healthcare visits per year through 2027.
In addition, the VA plans to establish a grant program to support new telehealth access points in non-VA facilities. The funding would bolster The Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) program, which launched in 2019, by supporting organizations, such as non-profits and businesses, to create and maintain telehealth stations where veterans could access VA care services.
The idea behind the program is to create a network of locations that would enable veterans to access care outside of VA hospitals and care sites, giving veterans more convenient options for care. Current sites are located in Walmart stores, American legion posts and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.
Interestingly, the ATLAS program so far hasn’t performed up to expectations. Just a month ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that found that 14 of the 24 sites supported by the program weren’t used at all in FY 2022 or 2023.
"I think it's a noble idea,” GAO Healthcare Director Alyssa Hundrup told a Virginia TV station in an October interview. “They've put in an effort but, unfortunately, it has yet to be used. VA really needs to be looking at the effectiveness of these sites, where they are, how they're using them, are they getting the word out to communicate with the veterans the availability of these? Otherwise, these sites are sitting there being unused and it's a real missed opportunity.”
VA officials said the two new announcements aim to build on a successful platform for veterans, and an understanding that many veterans either can’t or won’t visit VA centers or other VA-affiliated care sites.
“Waiving copays for telehealth services and launching this grant program are both major steps forward in ensuring Veterans can access healthcare where and when they need it,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a press release. “VA is the best and most affordable care in America for veterans. With these steps, we can make it easier for veterans to access their earned VA healthcare.”
The announcement continues a growth trend for the nation’s largest health system, which serves more than 16.2 million veterans. In fiscal year 2023, more than 2.4 million veterans, or 12% of that total, were treated through more than 11.6 million virtual care encounters, including some 9.4 million on the VA Video Connect platform.
Also last month, the VA expanded its tele-emergency care (tele-EC) platform to veterans across the country, after the success of pilot programs in selected regions. Veterans can now use a smartphone and associated app to access emergency care at any time and from any location.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
More than 12% of the nation’s veterans have accessed care through telehealth or digital health platforms.
The VA is expanding access to care for veterans by eliminating copayments and increasing the number of telehealth stations in remote and rural areas where veterans can connect with VA care providers.
A recent report from the GAO found that many of those remote telehealth stations weren’t used by a single veteran in FY 2022 and 2023.