​New HCAOA Council Seeks Improvements for VA Community Care Network Providers

​Realizing the desire of HCAOA members to provide care to our nation’s veterans, HCAOA recently created the VA Advisory Services Council to advocate to VA and its contractors for efficient processes for provider enrollment, billing and referrals. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Community Care started implementing a new VA Community Care Network (VACCN) of providers in 2018 as directed by the VA Mission Act. Optum Federal Health Services was contracted to build a provider network in the eastern U.S. (CCN Regions 1, 2 and 3) and Triwest Health Net was contracted to build the provider network in the western U.S. (Regions 4 and 5).

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The transition from the old network (Choice) to the new VACCN started in 2019 and has featured credentialing and enrollment delays and challenging transitions to new software platforms and alterations. Council members met with the Veterans Health Administration leadership in 2020 to express concerns and have been working to catalog the issues home care agencies are facing to develop an advocacy plan. In the coming weeks, all HCAOA members will receive a survey of their experience with the VACCN. Participating providers are urged to complete the short survey to provide helpful feedback to the Council and strong data for their advocacy efforts.

The Council looks forward to continuing to advocate for efficient processes for community providers seeking help seniors age with dignity at home.