No veteran should ever have to wait for essential health care due to overcrowded VA hospitals or long waiting lists. However, that’s exactly what has happened to veterans all over the nation, which has led to recent changes affecting veteran private care. As a trusted provider of home health care to veterans in Berkeley, MO, Deer Valley Home Health Services offers the following information.

Veterans Access, Choice & Accountability Act

Prior to recent changes, the Veterans Access, Choice & Accountability Act stipulated that vets could seek out veteran private care if they were more than 40 miles from a VA hospital or if they had to wait longer than 30 days for an appointment. While this legislation was a step in the right direction, many vets found the Act to be far too rigid. In some cases, the type of care they required was not available from VA facilities, regardless of wait times or distances.

The Mission Act

As a response to complaints about the Choice Act, the Mission Act was implemented this year. With this legislation, several factors will be looked at when determining how to provide the best care possible. For instance, if a VA doctor believes a vet would be best suited by private care, he or she would have the option to do so. Additionally, the quality of the care provided by the local VA facility would also be considered.

Another change involves home caregivers. Past legislation allowed funding for in-home care, but only if the injuries took place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The Mission Act is expanding this option, albeit gradually. Upon the Act’s passing, vets injured before 1975 would also be eligible for home care funding. After two years, veterans injured between 1975 and 2001 would also be eligible.

The policies dictating veteran private care are often complex, which is why Deer Valley Home Health Services strives to clear up the confusion for those who sacrificed so much. This home care company also offers a range of other services, including help for people with special needs and the elderly care. If you’d like to schedule a caregiver in Berkeley, feel free to call (314) 355-3679 today. You can also visit them online to learn more about the St. Charles and St. Louis locations.