Last year, VA proposed ways to expand its statutory authority and veterans’ eligibility for VA health care. Several bills have been introduced that, if enacted, should authorize VA hospitals to establish contract access points and provide more primary care services to veterans in the same manner as the new access points are now doing. Over the longer term, VA hospitals may incur unexpected, significant cost increases to provide care to veterans who would otherwise not have used VA’s facilities. To date, most directors have concluded that it was more cost-effective to contract for care in the target locations than operate new access points themselves. About half of the veterans who have used VA health care in the past, and a larger portion of the new users, said that it matters little whether they receive care in a VA-operated facility. Veterans will also generally benefit financially by enrolling in new VA access points. Creating New Access Points Can Address Long-Standing Equity Concerns

Inequities in veterans’ access to VA care have been a long-standing concern. Establishing new access points gives VA the opportunity to reduce some of these veterans’ travel distances. In addition, VA has not developed a plan to ensure that hospitals establish access points in an affordable manner.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) plan to improve veterans' access to primary health care.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) by creating new access points, VA may be able to cost-effectively improve users' access to health care and reduce the inequities in veterans' access caused by geographic inaccessibility; (2) creating new access points may increase costs dramatically, since VA failure to adhere to statutory eligibility limitations has resulted in an increase in the amount of services provided and members receiving benefits; (3) the lack of a VA facility in a particular area does not necessarily justify the establishment of a new primary care access point in that area; (4) VA hospitals need to find ways to finance new access points through reorganization of resources rather than with additional funds; (5) in some underserved areas, it has been more cost-effective to contract for health care services rather than establishing a new VA access point; and (6) new access points could cause financial difficulties for VA, because these new facilities will make VA funded care more accessible to veterans who would otherwise not have used VA facilities.