WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Wednesday pushed back against news reports that his department’s embattled Choice program may again run out of funds ahead of schedule, saying he is confident the money will last until the end of the year.
But he also warned it won’t last much beyond that, underscoring the need for Congress to quickly take up legislation to overhaul the outside care program.
“They only funded us for half a year,” Shulkin told reporters after a Senate hearing. “I’ve always said it’s essential that we get the Choice legislation done this legislative session, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”
Veterans groups for weeks have quietly worried that usage rates of the Choice program — which allows patients who face long wait times or significant travel to see private-sector doctors at VA’s expense — have outpaced department expectations.
That has happened several times in the program’s three-year history, including earlier this summer. At the start of 2017, VA officials had expected to have a surplus of Choice funds available at the start of August. By June, they realized the available funds would be zeroed out by the end of the summer.
The funding shortfall forced lawmakers to scramble together a $2.1 billion funding infusion to extend the program until the end of the year.
Throughout the summer, VA officials warned that allowing the Choice program to run out of money without a plan for reforms or a replacement initiative would disrupt care for thousands of veterans. They also implemented a host of restrictions on the program in an attempt to make the dwindling funding last longer.
Shulkin said those restrictions have been lifted, and the VA officials are spending about $280 million a month on the Choice program. That pace should fund medical appointments through the end of the year, though Shulkin admitted projecting how fast the money gets spent has been a problem for VA.
“But right now, the data as of yesterday, we do not anticipate this running out before the end of the year,” he said.
That leaves a tight timeline for lawmakers to pass a promised overhaul of the Choice program, one that Shulkin wants expanded to more patients and more flexible for private-sector doctors.
Drafts of proposals have been circulating around the executive branch for weeks, but thus far no formal legislation has been introduced in the House or Senate. With numerous budget and health care fights looming before Congress, the Choice changes risk being pushed aside by larger priorities.
The Choice program itself has been the target of attacks from groups who fear it’s a step towards privatization of some VA responsibilities, or a steady shift of needed funds away from VA facilities to outside medical offices.
Shulkin said he is unconcerned with those pressures.
“I think you’ve see that we in VA are very aggressive with our timelines,” he said. “But we’re getting the job done, and I expect we will get this job done. We have the commitment from Congress. No one wants to see us put veterans again at risk or reach another crisis.
“We are in close communication with Congress and the White House on this. I expect we’re going to get this done.”
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
