A measure recently cosponsored by Rep. Lois Capps seeks to close a loophole in the Veterans Affairs (VA) reform bill signed into law last August following last year’s nationwide scandal that exposed long wait times for veterans seeking medical care.
Among a number of changes, the $16.3 billion law established a “choice card” program, allowing veterans living more than 40 miles from a VA facility or waiting more than 30 days for care the opportunity to see a private doctor at the government’s expense. The program has not been without flaws, as media reports continue to spread stories about confusion since the agency started mailing out the cards last November.
But in smaller regions such as Santa Barbara, the problem for veterans is not that they live more than 40 miles from a facility, but that the local clinics may not offer services they need such as surgical procedures, dental work, or chemotherapy treatment. Many of the roughly 2,600 veterans who access the Santa Barbara VA clinic and the 6,200 or so who use the Santa Maria one must trek to the West Los Angeles VA Hospital for certain procedures.