Rural providers are concerned as VA's reimbursement shift for veterans' ambulance services is delayed.

Th? D????tm?nt ?? V?t???ns A???i?s h?s ??st??n?? ?l?nn?? ch?n??s t? its ?m??l?nc? ??im???s?m?nt ??t?s — ? ?????s?l th?t w?s t? ?? int? ????ct in F??????? ??s?it? c?nc??n ???m th? c?m??ni?s th?t ???vi?? ?i? ?n? ????n? t??ns???t s??vic?s ?n? v?t???ns wh? ??t?nti?ll? will ?? ????ct?? ?? th? ch?n??.

In ??s??ns? t? ? 2018 VA ins??ct?? ??n???l ?????t th?t ???n? th? ?????tm?nt ??i? ????hl? 60% m??? th?n M??ic??? ??t?s ??? ?i? ?m??l?nc? s??vic?s, th? VA ?nn??nc?? ???li?? this ???? th?t it w??l? ch?n?? its st??ct??? ??? ??im???sin? ?m??l?nc? c?m??ni?s in ?n ?????t t? ?????ss th? ?i?????nc? ?n? “?? ???? st?w???s ?? t?x????? m?n??.”

Th? ch?n?? w?s t? ?? int? ????ct ?n F??. 16, 2024. B?t th? VA ?nn??nc?? l?st w??k th?t it w??l? ??l?? th? ch?n?? ?ntil F??????? 2025. In ?n ?nn??nc?m?nt ??st?? ?n th? VA w??sit?, ???ici?ls s?i? th?? w??? c?mmitt?? t? ch?n?in? th? ??t?s ??t ?ls? w??l? ?ns??? th?t v?t???ns w??l? n?t ??c?iv? ?ills ??? th? s??vic?s.

“VA will ??? th? l?ss?? ?? ?ct??l ch???? ?ss?ci?t?? with ?n ?i? ?m??l?nc? s??vic?, ?? th? st?n???? [C?nt??s ??? M??ic??? & M??ic?i? S??vic?s] ??t? ??? th?t s??vic?, ?nl?ss ? s?????t? ??t? h?s ???n ?st??lish?? ??s?? ?n l?c?l c?nt??cts ??tw??n ?i? ?m??l?nc? ???vi???s ?n? l?c?l VA m??ic?l c?nt??s,” ???ici?ls w??t?. “VA int?n?s t? incl??? t??ms in th?s? c?nt??cts t? ?ns??? th?t v?t???n c??? will n?t ?? ??v??s?l? im??ct??.”

In??st?? ?????s?nt?tiv?s ?n? m?m???s ?? C?n???ss h?? ??is?? c?nc??ns th?t th? ch?n?? w??l? t??nsl?t? int? ? ????cti?n in ??im???s?m?nt ??t?s t? th? M??ic??? l?v?ls — ? m?v? th?t c??l? n???tiv?l? ????ct v?t???ns wh? liv? h?n????s ?? mil?s ???m ?n ?m????nc? ???m.

In ? ??c?nt int??vi?w with Milit???.c?m, B?n Cl??t?n, ? ???m?? M??in? C???s ?il?t ?n? CEO ?? th? n?n????it ?m??l?nc? c?m??n? Li?? Fli?ht N?tw??k, s?i? c?m??ni?s ??l? ?n ??c?ivin? th? m??k?t ??t? ???m th? VA ?n? c?mm??ci?l ins????s t? c?v?? th?i? c?sts ?n? ???vi?? s??vic?s ??? ?ll ??ti?nts ?x???i?ncin? ?m????nci?s, incl??in? M??ic??? ?n? M??ic?i? ??ti?nts, v?t???ns ?n? th? ins????.

H? s?i? ?n ?m??l?nc? ???vi??? in ? ????l c??nt? in M?nt?n? c??s?? ?????ti?ns ?s ? ??s?lt ?? ??im???s?m?nt sh??t??lls ?n? m??? w??l? lik?l? ??ll?w i? th? VA ????c?? ??im???s?m?nts.

“S?, n?w th?t c?mm?nit? h?s t? w?it ??? ?n ??t-??-c??nt? ?m??l?nc? ?? ??l? ?n v?l?nt???s t? t?? t? ??t th? li??s?vin? c??? th? c?mm?niti?s n???,” Cl??t?n s?i?.

Cl??t?n’s c?m??n? s??v?s O????n, W?shin?t?n, I??h? ?n? w?st??n M?nt?n?, c?v??in? ????hl? 322,000 s????? mil?s.

S???kin? ?t th? N?ti?n?l P??ss Cl?? ???li?? this m?nth, VA S?c??t??? D?nis McD?n???h s?i? th? ???l ?? th? n?w ??l? w?s n?t s?l?l? t? ????c? ??t?s. Inst???, h? s?i?, it w?s int?n??? t? ?nc?????? ???vi???s t? ?nt?? int? ???m?l c?nt??cts with th? VA ??? s??vic?s.

“Th? w?? th? VA ???s ??? ?m????nc? ?m??l?nc? s??vic?s ??ts ?t ?isk t?x????? int???sts,” McD?n???h s?i?. “VA ?l?n? ?m?n? h??lth c??? s?st?ms in th? c??nt?? ???s ??? ??ch in?ivi???l ?m??l?nc?, c?sh … w? ??? j?st ???in? c?sh ??? ??ch ??n. W? c?nn?t ?in? ?n?th?? h?s?it?l s?st?m th?t ???s it th?t w??.”

E??li?? this ????, l?wm?k??s, incl??in? Ch?i?m?n ?? th? S?n?t? V?t???ns A???i?s C?mmitt?? S?n. J?n T?st??, D-M?nt., ?n? S?n. J???? M???n ?? K?ns?s, th? c?mmitt??’s ??nkin? R????lic?n, ???ss?? McD?n???h t? ??l?? th? ??l? ch?n?? whil? th? VA ?n???t?k?s ??t???ch with in??st?? ?n? in?ivi???l c?m??ni?s ?n th? c?nt??ctin? ???c?ss.

Th? tw? h?v? int????c?? l??isl?ti?n ?l?n? with S?n. P?tt? M?????, D-W?sh., ?n? S?n. J?hn B??zm?n, R-A?k., th?t w??l? ??? th? VA ???m ????cin? ??t?s ?nl?ss it c?n ?????nt?? th?t th? ch?n?? w??l? n?t ????c? v?t???ns’ ?cc?ss t? ?m??l?nc? s??vic?s.

In ? st?t?m?nt W??n?s???, T?st?? ???is?? th? ??cisi?n t? ?xt?n? th? ??l?.

“Th? ?v?il??ilit? ?? ?m????nc? ?i? ?n? ????n? t??ns???t?ti?n s??vic?s in M?nt?n? ?n? ????l Am??ic? c?n ?? th? ?i?????nc? ??tw??n li?? ?n? ???th,” T?st?? s?i? in ? st?t?m?nt. “VA’s h?st? im?l?m?nt?ti?n ?? its ??t? ch?n?? ??? th?s? s??vic?s c??l? h?v? ???n th? ?in?l st??w ??? ???vi???s in ????l Am??ic?, ?n? I’m ?l?? t? s?? VA ?nsw??in? m? c?ll ?n? t?kin? st??s t? ?ix this ??im???s?m?nt iss??.”