State seeks $250M for vets’ care
Gov. Mary Fallin on Thursday announced the state would seek $250 million in federal funds to improve health care for veterans.
The funds from the federally funded Veterans Choice Program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs would be used to support a three-year pilot program. The goal is to provide physician appointments within 20 days and within 30 miles.
It also seeks to increase the number of primary care providers and specialists available to veterans, officials said.
Doctors would receive fair market-based reimbursement within 30 days, said Pete Reed, former executive director of Veterans Affairs during former Gov. George Nigh’s administration.
“Our veterans deserve and have earned through sacrifice the best health care available,” said Reed, who served as project coordinator. “This plan provides a cost-effective, efficient and accessible network of care every veteran can support.”
The program would cover mental health, home health, nursing care, rehabilitative care and coordinated access to physician services, laboratory services, pharmacy services and telehealth capability.
The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs would administer the independent program.
Veterans Affairs Executive Director Doug Elliott said he believes a thirdparty administrator will have to be hired using some of the $250 million. Fallin and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Myles Deering said the state will work with its federal delegation in hopes of securing the funding.
Mark Kinders, vice president for public affairs, said Oklahoma is 10th in population of veterans with 310,000, but 18th in federal funding. The details for the pilot program came after Fallin two years ago assembled a team to undertake the study.