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Tester: Hopeful Signs For Veterans Choice

HealthNet
Government contractor HealthNet has come under fire for its handling of Veterans Choice

Last month we reported on problems with a health care program called Veterans Choice. It was supposed to help veterans across the country get health care appointments more quickly, in the wake of the scandal at the VA in Phoenix that exposed veterans waiting months just to be seen.

Congress passed Veterans Choice, and then hired two private contractors to carry it out. The one serving Montana veterans is called HealthNet. HealthNet was supposed to link veterans here to private doctors, clinics and hospitals to get their health needs met more quickly. But exactly the opposite happened - more vets ended up waiting longer to get care, and doctors, clinics and hospitals often had to wait more than a month to get paid.

Senator Jon Tester admitted Congress could have done a better job with the bill, and said the Veterans Administration deserves some of the blame for problems with Choice. But he laid most of the blame on HealthNet. The Democrat says that in the last month, there’s some evidence things are getting better.

Click here to read Senator Tester's June 3, 2016 letter to HealthNet.

Click here to read HealthNet's June 3, 2016 response to Senator Tester's letter, and click here for additional information on Choice in Montanafrom HealthNet.  

Eric Whitney is NPR's Mountain West/Great Plains Bureau Chief, and was the former news director for Montana Public Radio.
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