releases: http://love.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=731
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| http://love.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=731 | Letter to VA Secretary | 2017-11-03 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Republican | House | UT | Mia Love | L000584 | love.house.gov | legacy | This week, Congresswoman Mia Love sent a letter to David Shulkin, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), requesting that the Department take action to address nonpayment problems plaguing the Veteran’s Choice Program. You can read the full letter below. The Choice Program was created to expand access to medical coverage for Veterans by allowing them to seek care with community providers when appropriate, in addition to VA Medical Centers. However, nonpayment issues have prevented full participation, limiting options and causing significant problems for Veterans. This problem was noted in a GAO report from early 2017, which recommended “improved oversight of VA community care” to rectify the issue. “The Choice Program was introduced to ensure Veterans have more options and shorter wait times as they seek the care they need,” Rep. Love said. “However, late payment and nonpayment threaten the success of the program and cause additional stress for both patients and providers. This is unacceptable, and we must correct it.” *** The Honorable David J. Shulkin Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 Dear Secretary Shulkin: I write to bring an ongoing issue of concern to your attention. As you know, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has contracted, through the Veterans Choice Program (VCP), with Health Net Federal Services (HNFS) to ensure eligible Veterans receive access to the care they need in a timely manner. HNFS provides support to the region in which my state, Utah, is included. While in office, I have regularly heard from providers who have struggled to receive reimbursement from HNFS. For some providers, late or non-payments have reached critical proportions for their practice. As a result, many providers are no longer able to assist veterans seeking services through VCP. I have seen providers in my own district struggle with this issue. The Military and Veterans Counseling Center (MVCC) in Murray, Utah serves active military members as well as veterans battling depression, anxiety, PTSD, sexual trauma, and the effects of grief and loss. It also assists those in need of counseling for readjustment and injury or to improve family, home, and social situations. Their therapists are experts in their field and possess combat-related trauma training and an essential knowledge of military culture. They provide a crucial service to veterans in the community. MVCC came to my district office for help because nonpayment of veterans’ bills was threatening their ability to assist veterans seeking services through Choice. MVCC presently has almost $21,000 in payments outstanding, representing 155 separate billings. Many of these date back more than a year. Some of the issues they have experienced with HNFS include claims rejected for incorrect color form, payment on some older claims but not others in the same timeline, and submitted claims not even showing in the HNFS system. Often times, HNFS failed to respond to the provider until my office became involved. The providers that care for these veterans are delivering a crucial service. But if they are not paid, they will be unable to provide those services, leaving veterans with limited care options. Ultimately, this may force them into emergent care. This will increase costs for both the VA and the veteran. Some providers, unable to collect payment from Health Net, have chosen to seek payment from the veteran. When payment is not forthcoming, collections agencies may become involved, impacting the veterans’ credit. Though there may be rules against providers going to veterans for payment, the existence of the rule makes little difference to the veteran experiencing the stress of collection efforts or reduced credit scores. As you are aware, this problem was also highlighted in GAO’s February 2017 High Risk Report, which recommended “improved oversight of VA community care to ensure—among other things—timely payment to community providers”. In light of the GAO Report, and the experiences of providers and veterans, I respectfully request information on what immediate steps the VA is taking to address nonpayment to providers serving veterans through VCP, particularly with regards to HNFS. I look forward to your response and thank you for your dedicated service to veterans. Please know that I am always ready to work with you to supply the very best care to these brave men and women. Sincerely, Rep. Mia Love | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |