House panel OKs $51 billion plan to grow VA private care

WASHINGTON — A House committee approved a plan Tuesday to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs health system and fix a budget crisis in its troubled Choice private-sector program, a step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise to expand private care options.

The $51 billion plan includes $5.2 billion to avert a catastrophic shutdown of Choice. The program is scheduled to run out of money as early as May 31, causing disruptions in medical care to tens of thousands of patients.

It paves the way for passage of the long-sought bill after previous failed attempts including in March, leading in part to Trump’s firing of former VA Secretary David Shulkin. Nearly 40 organizations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars and the conservative Concerned Veterans for America, support the measure.

The plan, passed 20-2 by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, would mean that veterans could see private doctors at taxpayer expense when VA medical centers are unable to provide timely treatment or the care is deemed inadequate. Still, it may take years to assess the full impact on veterans who turn to private doctors over government-run VA care, due to uncertainty in how the rules will be interpreted and how VA determines what is “quality” care.

The Choice bill builds on legislation passed in 2014 in response to a wait-time scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center. The bill aims to steer more patients to the private sector to relieve pressure at VA hospitals.