Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
Washington, D.C. -- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA)
today announced the establishment of eight new
community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Michigan, Texas
and Nevada as part of the agency's ongoing program to improve
access to VA health care.
These add to more than 260 other new CBOCs established in the
last three years. VA currently operates a total of 551 outpatient
clinics and more are in the process of activation.
"Today's announcement reflects our ongoing commitment to
assuring consistent and predictable quality, efficiency and
improved access to care to more veterans," said VA Secretary
Togo D. West Jr.
The popularity of community clinics is shown in part by workload
data. While VA inpatient admissions declined by nearly a third
since fiscal year 1995 (284,000 fewer admissions in 1998
compared to 1995), the outpatient visit workload has gone up by
more than a third, 9.2 million visits, for a total of 35.8 million
outpatient visits in fiscal year 1998.
Treating veterans at the most appropriate levels of care is enabling
VA to care for far more veterans each year. The total annual
number of patients treated rose from 2.9 million to 3.4 million
over the past four years.
In addition to a new structure providing for regional coordination
of care, VA has reformed its eligibility rules to provide a full
continuum of inpatient and outpatient acute care services to
veterans who enroll in the VA health-care plan. For this fiscal
year VA has determined that appropriations are adequate to
accept enrollment by any veteran.
Enrollment for VA services can be accomplished at any time by
calling
1-877-222-8387. VA encourages veterans to enroll before they
need care. There are limited copayments required of
higher-income veterans having no disability connected with their
prior military service, but care always is provided at no cost to the
veteran needing care for his or her service-connected condition.
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