WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?

This award is part of the VA Community Care program, which was established under the VA MISSION Act of 2018. That law requires the VA to provide eligible veterans with access to private-sector healthcare when VA facilities are not available or convenient.

WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?

Many veterans live far from VA hospitals or face long wait times for appointments, leaving them without timely medical care. This contract helps bridge that gap by paying a private company to coordinate and pay for care from community providers near where veterans live.

WHO BENEFITS?

Veterans living in areas served by TriWest, primarily in western and central U.S. regions, benefit by gaining access to local doctors and hospitals. Healthcare providers in those communities also benefit by receiving payment for treating veteran patients.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Because this is a very large monthly payment to a single private company, there is a risk that costs could be difficult to track and that overbilling or administrative inefficiencies could go undetected. The contract type is listed as unknown, which limits public visibility into how performance and accountability are being measured.

WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?

If this contract were cancelled, veterans in TriWest's coverage area could lose access to community healthcare options, potentially facing longer waits or traveling much farther to reach VA facilities. Providers who treat veterans through this program would also stop receiving reimbursements.

ARGUMENTS FOR

• •Veterans who cannot easily access VA facilities would otherwise go without timely medical care, and this contract directly addresses that gap.
• •Routing care through a managed care company like TriWest can help coordinate services more efficiently than having the VA handle every individual community referral directly.
• •The VA MISSION Act reflects bipartisan agreement that veterans deserve access to care close to home, and this funding puts that law into action.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

• •Nearly $874 million in a single month to one private company raises questions about whether taxpayer money is being spent as efficiently as possible compared to expanding VA capacity directly.
• •The contract type is listed as unknown, making it harder for the public and oversight bodies to assess whether the government is getting good value.
• •Some critics argue that routing veteran care through private contractors shifts money away from the VA system and could weaken the VA's long-term ability to serve veterans.