VA Eliminates Second Review Step to Expand Access to Community Care for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a significant policy change that will simplify the process for VA-enrolled veterans to receive care from non-VA providers. Effective immediately, the department will remove the second VA physician review requirement when determining whether community care is in a veteran’s best medical interest.

This change, authorized under the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, streamlines decision-making between veterans and their referring VA clinicians. Previously, even after a veteran and clinician agreed that community care was appropriate, a second VA doctor had to validate the referral before it became final.

“Now, we’re making it even easier for Veterans to get their health care when and where it’s most convenient for them,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “This important change will help us do just that.”

Since the 2019 implementation of the MISSION Act, VA-enrolled veterans have been eligible to receive VA-funded care from non-VA providers under certain conditions. These include cases where required care is unavailable at a VA facility, the veteran lives in a state without a full-service VA medical center, or VA cannot meet wait time or distance standards. Additional qualifying conditions include quality of service concerns or eligibility under legacy Veterans Choice Program provisions.

Under the updated policy, referrals made in the veteran’s best medical interest will no longer require additional review, allowing for quicker access to necessary care. The decision-making process will remain grounded in clinical judgment, but without the administrative delay imposed by secondary approval.

The VA will implement training for Veterans Health Administration employees to ensure adherence to the new process and consistency with the Elizabeth Dole Act. The aim is to improve efficiency and responsiveness in delivering care.

“We are putting Veterans first at the department,” said Collins. “That means placing a premium on customer service and convenience.”

This change marks another step in the department’s broader effort to increase health care access and flexibility for veterans by reducing bureaucratic barriers and empowering frontline clinical teams.

Reference
VA makes it easier for veterans to use community care. VA.gov. Press release. Published May 19, 2025. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-makes-it-easier-for-veterans-to-use-community-care/