School of Professional Studies

Date of Award

4-2024

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Department

School of Professional Studies

Chief Instructor

Kerry Morris, MPA, Adjunct Professor

Second Reader

Kerry Morris

Third Reader

Clark University Writing Center

Keywords

healthcare, Veterans Affairs (VA), MISSION Act 2018, self-scheduling, physicians, Veteran Healthcare Administration (VHA), Veterans, SCHEDULES Act 2024, telehealth, MyHealtheVet

Abstract

The Veteran Healthcare Administration (VHA) serves over nine million veterans (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). They are responsible for the health and well-being of veterans with service-connected disabilities (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). A major focus for the organization is to keep improving access for veterans, as the population continues to grow (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023). In 2018, congress passed the MISSION Act in hopes of increasing access for veterans. The MISSION Act would expand private healthcare access for veterans through the Veteran Community Care Program (VCCP) (MISSION ACT, 2018). Despite the initial benefits of the program, the MISSION Act failed to address many of the underlying problems related to inaccessible healthcare. As of 2024, the VHA continues to struggle with providing access due to administrative failures, data collection shortcomings, and a growing physician shortage, which continues to contribute to long wait times. This paper aims to help provide practical solutions, which will help provide veterans with timely and accessible healthcare appointments. In researching the topic possible avenues were found to improve accessibility, such as self-scheduling, telehealth expansion, and comprehensive legislation to set comprehensive wait time standards. Without immediate action to implement new legislative and administrative policies to address the VHA’s shortcomings, millions of veterans will continue to struggle to get the timely care they deserve.

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