Veterans and registered voters widely support allowing vets to seek medical care outside the VA system.

Responding to a new poll, 98 percent of veterans and 95 percent of registered voters surveyed said they favored giving veterans more choice over their health care by allowing them to receive services from medical facilities or providers beyond the Department of Veterans Affairs.

An overwhelming number of respondents – 80 percent and 84 percent, respectively – still support this notion even if it means veterans might pay more out of pocket.

This is a central tenet of reforming the VA Choice Program. Veterans should have access to the best quality care available. If they aren’t getting the care they need from a VA hospital, they should have the ability to seek treatment elsewhere.

Supporting veterans’ choice in health care doesn’t mean eliminating the VA. It means making sure vets have options when they need them so they aren’t forced to use a failing hospital or wait unnecessarily long for care.

The VA Choice Program currently features a “40-mile, 30-day” rule limiting vets’ ability to use outside services. The rule means that, in theory, vets can seek care outside the VA only if they can’t be seen at a VA facility within a 40-mile radius or within a month of when they request an appointment.

In light of this, the poll also found that 92 percent of veterans and 91 percent of registered voters would support legislation to reform the VA Choice Act in order to give vets the options to use their health care benefits at either a VA health care facility or a provider of their choosing – without the limitations or restrictions of the current program.

Join these respondents in supporting the improvement and expansion of veterans’ health care. Tell Congress to overhaul the VA Choice Act.

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