Thursday, September 24, 2026

Audit of Processing of Community Care Requests for Services Inbox Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) Unsubscribe 6:05 AM (4 hours ago) to me New Rebranded Header Audit of Processing of Community Care Requests for Services 9/24/2026 9:00 AM EDT The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) is committed to protecting the integrity of VA programs. The OIG examined how quickly the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reviewed and responded to community care providers’ requests for additional services for veterans. These requests are submitted when a community provider determines that a veteran needs more or different care than VA initially approved. Under the MISSION Act, veterans may receive care from community providers when eligibility criteria are met, such as long drive times, long wait times, or when VA facilities cannot provide the needed service. When community providers ask for more care, VHA must make a decision and notify both the veteran and provider within three business days. The OIG reviewed nearly 2.6 million requests entered in the Consult Toolbox—the system VHA uses to manage documentation and workflows for VA and community care—between October 1, 2024, and January 31, 2026. The audit found that VA medical facilities often did not meet the required three-business-day standard. Only about 1.2 million requests were decided on time, and only about 1.4 million resulted in notifications to either the veteran or the provider. On average, notifications took about 12 days from the date of receipt—four times longer than required. This can adversely delay or disrupt veterans’ care or result in unauthorized care. The audit identified several barriers to meeting the three-business-day standard, including backlogs, staff shortages, manual processes, and multiple systems and steps needed to process requests. Inconsistent oversight of this process also led to inconsistent data entry and limited national data to support accountability. VHA is undergoing major changes to its community care operations, including a new Office of Veterans Community Care and upcoming network contract updates. The OIG issued six recommendations to help VHA strengthen oversight and improve the timeliness of decisions so veterans receive the care they need without unnecessary delays. Click Here for Full Report

Audit of Processing of Community Care Requests for Services Inbox Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) Unsubscribe 6:05 AM (4 hours ago) to me New Rebranded Header Audit of Processing of Community Care Requests for Services 9/24/2026 9:00 AM EDT The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) is committed to protecting the integrity of VA programs. The OIG examined how quickly the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reviewed and responded to community care providers’ requests for additional services for veterans. These requests are submitted when a community provider determines that a veteran needs more or different care than VA initially approved. Under the MISSION Act, veterans may receive care from community providers when eligibility criteria are met, such as long drive times, long wait times, or when VA facilities cannot provide the needed service. When community providers ask for more care, VHA must make a decision and notify both the veteran and provider within three business days. The OIG reviewed nearly 2.6 million requests entered in the Consult Toolbox—the system VHA uses to manage documentation and workflows for VA and community care—between October 1, 2024, and January 31, 2026. The audit found that VA medical facilities often did not meet the required three-business-day standard. Only about 1.2 million requests were decided on time, and only about 1.4 million resulted in notifications to either the veteran or the provider. On average, notifications took about 12 days from the date of receipt—four times longer than required. This can adversely delay or disrupt veterans’ care or result in unauthorized care. The audit identified several barriers to meeting the three-business-day standard, including backlogs, staff shortages, manual processes, and multiple systems and steps needed to process requests. Inconsistent oversight of this process also led to inconsistent data entry and limited national data to support accountability. VHA is undergoing major changes to its community care operations, including a new Office of Veterans Community Care and upcoming network contract updates. The OIG issued six recommendations to help VHA strengthen oversight and improve the timeliness of decisions so veterans receive the care they need without unnecessary delays. Click Here for Full Report

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