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Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Apr 26, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is requesting information to assist in the development of a national standard of practice for VA marriage and family therapists. Outlines the proposed standard of practice, including education, state licensure, and tasks and duties the profession will be able to perform within the scope of their VA employment, among other things. Comments are due by June 25, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 25, 2024 - Announces the expansion of a cancer care program for veterans. Program clinicians improve access to cancer care by traveling to outpatient clinics in rural and other places. Expansion of the program is expected to bring cancer care to 9,000 additional veterans.
Source: VA News
Apr 22, 2024 - Announces an expanded partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), increasing access to healthcare for New York area veterans. Discusses the impact the expanded access will have on rural veterans.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs
Apr 18, 2024 - Highlights outreach efforts by the Phoenix, Arizona VA to rural communities. The program offered enrollment, telehealth information, health screenings, and more for rural and tribal veterans.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Apr 18, 2024 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will hold a virtual public meeting on April 30-May 1, 2024. Agenda items include updates from VA leadership, the Executive Director of the VA Office of Rural Health, and the Committee Chair, as well as presentations on general rural healthcare access.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 8, 2024 - Highlights a new mobile medical unit expanding mental healthcare access for veterans in Montana and Wyoming. The unit is the first offering transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy, a treatment typically given daily for multiple days. Receiving treatment through the mobile unit reduces transportation barriers for rural and frontier veterans.
Source: VA News
Mar 27, 2024 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) making changes to rates contained within the VA fee schedule, which is used as part of the rate structure for certain agreements the VA uses to purchase community care under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). This notice also describes the VA's use of non-reimbursable codes and industry-standard business practices to ensure consistent adjudication of claims for services deemed non-billable or non-reimbursable. These changes are effective March 27, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 26, 2024 - Describes virtual occupational therapy services offered by 2 Veterans Affairs facilities to reach rural veterans. Notes that the program is able to address social determinants of health issues such as home safety evaluations and fall risk assessments. Discusses how the program integrates with other virtual VA services.
Source: VA News
Mar 22, 2024 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeking comments on updates to its policy and directive on VA Tribal Consultation. VA has gathered and reviewed tribal input and recommendations from previous requests for comments, tribal consultation meetings, and the VA's Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs and proposes several edits to the Tribal Consultation Policy in response to the tribal recommendations. Comments are due by April 22, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 21, 2024 - Summarizes recent research investigating a lung screening program for rural veterans that found higher prevalence of lung cancer in veterans when compared to the prevalence found in the National Lung Screening Trial. Researchers found that the screening method used was successful for high-risk populations.
Source: DocWire News
Last Updated: 4/26/2024