Services, doctors and mid-level providers at Texas County Memorial Hospital have been approved as a “Veterans Choice Provider,” giving some area veterans the opportunity to receive local healthcare rather than travel to veteran’s administration facility.
Due to wait times for veterans to receive healthcare services and accessibility to those services, the “Veteran’s Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014” established the “Veterans Choice Program” with the goal of improving access to healthcare services for the nation’s veterans.
Veterans who are eligible for the service can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to request authorization to see a TCMH doctor or mid-level provider or to utilize a TCMH service such a laboratory, radiology, physical therapy or surgery. Veterans Choice will authorize a referral to the healthcare provider and provide an authorization number so the charges are billed to the insurance provider and not to the veteran.
“This is a great opportunity for TCMH to be able to provide care for area veterans that are part of the Veterans Choice program,” said Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH.
Murray said TCMH joined the program after a local veteran contacted TCMH because he preferred local healthcare services rather than traveling to a VA healthcare facility.
“It is definitely not convenient for our area veterans to have to drive a long distance to get services that can be provided quickly and conveniently at the local hospital or clinic,” Murray said.
Eligible veterans must call the VA at 1-866-606-8198 and provide information from their Veterans Choice Card to request authorization to receive a service at TCMH or from a TCMH provider.
“Any veteran that’s interested in seeing a local healthcare provider or using TCMH for a service just needs to get the authorization from the VA, and we will gladly take care of him or her,” Murray said.
For additional information about TCMH services, contact Joleen Senter Durham, director of public relations at 417-967-1258 or joleen@tcmh.org.