{"id":61767,"date":"2019-05-31T20:28:05","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T20:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/31\/with-major-changes-a-week-away-va-secretary-confident-his-department-is-ready\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:15:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:15:24","slug":"with-major-changes-a-week-away-va-secretary-confident-his-department-is-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2019\/05\/31\/with-major-changes-a-week-away-va-secretary-confident-his-department-is-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"With major changes a week away, VA secretary confident his department is ready"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/02\/07\/va-says-its-has-never-been-more-cooperative-with-congress-so-why-cant-lawmakers-get-the-answers-they-want\/\" target=\"_blank\">Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie<\/a> is approaching next Friday as \u201cjust another day at VA\u201d and not potentially one of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/01\/30\/new-va-plan-vets-facing-30-minute-drives-20-day-waits-for-appointments-could-get-private-sector-care-instead\/\" target=\"_blank\">transformative and disruptive moments for the veterans health system<\/a> in decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On June 6, hundreds of thousands of veterans enrolled in VA health care will be eligible for new expanded community care rules, allowing them to seek private-sector medical care at taxpayer expense. The moment has been a year in the making, and brought with it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/11\/vets-groups-and-lawmakers-say-theyre-against-it-but-what-does-privatization-of-veterans-affairs-really-mean\/\" target=_blank>significant concerns from veterans groups<\/a> who fear the massive rules shift could ultimately undermine existing VA services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe do expect to be ready,\u201d he said during an appearance on C-SPAN\u2019s Newsmakers program on Friday, calling the deadline a significant moment for his department but not one that will bring chaotic changes to core VA operations. \u201cI\u2019m confident that our team is ready across the country \u2026 (Most veterans) are not going to experience a great change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/01\/31\/new-va-health-care-rules-trump-overreach-or-more-choice-for-vets\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/RYW32DW23VCERNJQSYTDCRN7KA.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New VA health care rules: Trump overreach or more choice for vets?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Debate over how to expand veterans health care choices connects to larger national fights over the role of government and private-sector partnerships.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At issue is the Mission Act, a focal point of President Donald Trump\u2019s reform plan for the sprawling veterans administration. The legislation \u2014 passed by a wide bipartisan vote in Congress last summer \u2014 mandates a review of department facilities, an overhaul of the department\u2019s caregiver stipend, and the community care changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That last section has been Wilkie\u2019s main focus for the past year, even before he was confirmed for the top VA job (he worked as acting secretary for several weeks before his nomination).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after months of build up and controversies, Wilkie\u2019s approach in recent days to the dramatic rule changes has been a sharp contrast to the commander-in-chief\u2019s proclamations. The VA secretary insists it is a transformational moment, but also one that won\u2019t turn operations at VA upside down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe premise has been we\u2019re in the process of privatizing the institution,\u201d Wilkie said on the program, in response to a question from Military Times. \u201cWell, I\u2019ve had the honor of presenting the largest budget in the history of VA to Congress in the last few months. $220 billion. I am a pariah in the Cabinet room because I am the only one who didn\u2019t have to find budget cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe budget also calls for 390,000 employees. We\u2019re not in a pathway to privatization. If we are, we\u2019re doing it in a strange way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the changes, Veterans who live more than 30 minutes from a Veterans Affairs medical clinic or face a wait of more than 20 days for most health care appointments would be eligible for expanded community care programs. Wilkie and VA officials argue those standards fall in line with military health care and private sector benchmarks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The updated standards would replace the 40-mile, 30-day guidelines currently in place for most veterans. For specialty care, veterans would have a 60-minute-drive or 28-day wait standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About one-third of all VA medical appointments are currently handled outside the department\u2019s health care system now, a figure that has decreased in recent years. Wilkie and senior department officials have cited that as likely evidence the new changes won\u2019t create a spike in outside care use, since most veterans are happy with their current care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the VA in recent weeks mailed information to 9.5 million patients in the system to inform them of the coming \u201cimprovements\u201d to department programs and the community care program. About 8 percent of that population is eligible for the non-VA medical appointments now, and up to 40 percent will be eligible after next week\u2019s changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics fear a mass exodus of patients \u2014 and money \u2014 from a VA health system they insist has improved in recent years, and houses veteran-specific medical knowledge that much of the private sector lacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/03\/28\/no-delay-for-new-veterans-community-care-rules-despite-concerns-from-advocates\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/44255465394_0b6feb4a71_o.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">No delay for new veterans community care rules, despite concerns from advocates<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said the changes expanding private-sector care for vets will move ahead in June. Lawmakers still have doubts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senior department officials have promised that if the usage of the outside care program does increase beyond department estimates, they won\u2019t raid other VA medical accounts to cover the cost. But they will have to ask Congress for additional funding, even as some lawmakers question the size and scope of the $200-billion-plus fiscal 2020 budget request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, Wilkie isn\u2019t concerned about that possibility. He said during the interview that he has confidence in VA\u2019s staff\u2019s ability to communicate the changes to patients, help them choose the best health options in their individual cases, and make sure private-care providers are paid promptly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Choice act had seven different payment systems,\u201d he said. \u201cThis creates one standard so everybody knows it&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have made clear to veterans, when they have a concern, come to us. We\u2019ll explain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019s expecting more of those calls next week. Wilkie said he expects some minor problems with the roll-out given the size and scope of the veteran patient population, but he is also confident those won\u2019t amount to serious disruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The full C-SPAN interview will air Friday evening and throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New community care rules that will allow hundreds of thousands of veterans to receive care outside the VA medical system go into effect on June 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":102611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,93,12,25,67,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3226],"class_list":["post-61767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"7E23E6743BGUJKJQVBUU2DRKCE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/05\/31\/with-major-changes-a-week-away-va-secretary-confident-his-department-is-ready\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>With major changes a week away, VA secretary confident his department is ready - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New community care rules that will allow hundreds of thousands of veterans to receive care outside the VA medical system go into effect on June 6.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/05\/31\/with-major-changes-a-week-away-va-secretary-confident-his-department-is-ready\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"With major changes a week away, VA secretary confident his 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