How the Veterans Community Care Program Benefits Veterans with Mesothelioma

The Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) represents a significant improvement in how healthcare is delivered to America’s veterans. Established as a successor to the Veterans Choice Program (VCP), the VCCP streamlined and expanded access to community-based care for eligible veterans, particularly those suffering from serious conditions like mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. 

What is the Veterans Community Care Program?

The Veterans Community Care Program has transformed how veterans receive care outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. It is a comprehensive healthcare initiative that allows eligible veterans to receive medical services from community providers when the VA cannot provide the care they need promptly or when it’s in the veteran’s best medical interest. Created through the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act), the VCCP consolidated and replaced several previous community care programs.[1]

Under the VCCP, the VA works with a network of community providers to ensure that veterans can access high-quality healthcare when needed. This program represents a more permanent and comprehensive approach compared to its predecessor, the Veterans Choice Program, which was initially designed as a temporary solution to address immediate healthcare access issues within the VA system.[1]

The VCCP addresses several limitations of the previous Veterans Choice Program by offering more consistent eligibility criteria, improving coordination between VA and community providers, and enhancing the overall quality and accessibility of care for veterans.[1]

From Veterans Choice to Community Care: The Evolution of VA Healthcare

The journey to the current Veterans Community Care Program began with the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014, which established the Veterans Choice Program. The VCP was created in response to a scandal that revealed extensive wait times and scheduling manipulation at VA medical facilities. It was initially allocated $10 billion and designed as a temporary program set to expire in 2017.[1]

Due to ongoing needs and continued challenges within the VA healthcare system, Congress extended the VCP multiple times. However, it became clear that a more comprehensive and permanent solution was necessary. This recognition led to the development and passage of the VA MISSION Act in 2018, which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on June 6, 2018.[1]

The MISSION Act made several significant changes to veterans’ healthcare:[1]

1. Consolidated Community Care: The act combined seven different community care programs, including the VCP, into a single, streamlined program (the VCCP).
2. Expanded Eligibility: The MISSION Act broadened eligibility criteria, making it easier for veterans to qualify for community care.
3. Urgent Care Benefit: The legislation added a new urgent care benefit, allowing veterans to access urgent care from participating community providers without prior authorization.
4. Caregiver Support Expansion: It expanded comprehensive caregiver support to veterans of all eras, not just those who served after September 11, 2001.

The transition from the Veterans Choice Program to the Veterans Community Care Program was completed on June 6, 2019, when the MISSION Act provisions fully took effect. This date marked the official end of the VCP and the beginning of the new, more comprehensive community care framework.[1]

Eligibility Under the Veterans Community Care Program

The VCCP significantly expanded eligibility compared to the Veterans Choice Program, making community care accessible to more veterans under clearly defined criteria. Veterans can access community care through the VCCP if they meet any of the following conditions:[1]

1. Service Availability: The veteran needs a service that is not available at a VA medical facility.
2. Facility Accessibility: The veteran lives in a U.S. state or territory without a full-service VA medical facility.
3. Distance Standards: The veteran’s average drive time to reach a VA facility exceeds:
   • 30 minutes for primary care, mental health, and non-institutional extended care services
   • 60 minutes for specialty care
4. Appointment Wait Time: When VA cannot provide care within designated wait-time standards:
   • 20 days for primary care, mental health care, and non-institutional extended care services
   • 28 days for specialty care from the date of request
5. Best Medical Interest: When the veteran and their VA provider determine it is in the veteran’s best medical interest to receive community care based on defined factors. This has proven particularly important for veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos that requires highly specialized care.
6. Quality Standards: When the veteran’s VA facility does not meet certain quality standards compared to community care.
7. Grandfathered Choice Eligibility: Veterans who were eligible for community care under the distance criteria of the Veterans Choice Program.

This expanded eligibility framework has made it easier for veterans, especially those with complex conditions like mesothelioma, to access specialized care when needed.

The VCCP and Asbestos-Related Diseases

For veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, the Veterans Community Care Program offers critical benefits that can significantly impact their prognosis and quality of life. These disabling conditions often require highly specialized care that may not be available at all VA facilities.

Why the VCCP Matters for Asbestos-Related Conditions

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma need treatment that relies on specialized expertise and technologies that are only available in a relatively small number of cancer centers throughout the country. Under the VCCP, eligible veterans with mesothelioma can access these specialized treatment centers and providers when:

• The necessary expertise is not available at their local VA facility
• Travel to a distant VA facility with specialized expertise would be burdensome
• Wait times for appointments at specialized VA facilities would delay critical care

The VCCP’s expanded eligibility criteria and more streamlined approval process have made it easier for veterans with asbestos-related diseases to receive specialized care compared to the previous Veterans Choice Program. This is particularly important because:

1. Specialized Care Improves Outcomes: Treatment by experienced mesothelioma specialists can significantly improve survival times and quality of life. While general oncologists might see only a few mesothelioma cases in their career, specialists at comprehensive cancer centers have extensive experience with this rare disease and can offer the latest treatments, including potentially life-extending surgeries and multi-modality treatment, including immunotherapy.
2. Time is Critical: For aggressive diseases like mesothelioma, delays in treatment can have serious consequences. The VCCP’s faster approval processes and broader eligibility criteria help veterans access specialized care more quickly than under previous programs.
3. Clinical Trial Access: Many leading treatments for mesothelioma are available through clinical trials. The VCCP may facilitate eligible veterans’ participation in clinical trials at non-VA facilities that offer cutting-edge treatments not available anywhere else.

Beyond mesothelioma, the VCCP benefits veterans with other asbestos-related conditions including:

• Asbestosis (chronic lung scarring)
• Pleural plaques and thickening
• Lung cancer related to asbestos exposure
• Other cancers with established links to asbestos exposure

Asbestos Exposure Among American Veterans

The VCCP is especially important for veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases because the widespread use of asbestos in military settings throughout much of the 20th century sickened so many service members.[3]

From the 1930s through the 1970s, asbestos was extensively used across all branches of the U.S. military due to its heat resistance, durability, and fireproofing properties. This widespread use has resulted in veterans representing a disproportionately high number of people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.[3]

Naval Exposure

Navy veterans face the highest risk of asbestos-related diseases:

• Navy ships contained asbestos in virtually every area, including engine rooms, boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, mess halls, and navigation rooms
• Insulation, pipes, pumps, gaskets, valves, and electrical components throughout the ships contained asbestos
• Confined spaces onboard ships increased exposure concentration
• Shipyard workers and those involved in ship construction, repair, and decommissioning also faced significant levels of exposure 

Navy occupations at greatest risk of exposure to asbestos included:

• Boiler technicians
• Machinist’s mates
• Pipefitters
• Electrician’s mates

Other Military Branches

While Navy veterans face the highest risk of asbestos-related diseases, exposure to the deadly material occurred across all branches:

Army: Soldiers were exposed through vehicle maintenance, construction activities, building maintenance, and artillery repair. Asbestos was present in barracks, administrative buildings, and various equipment.

Air Force: Personnel encountered asbestos during aircraft maintenance, especially when working with heat shields, insulation, brakes, and electrical systems. Air Force bases also contained asbestos in buildings and infrastructure.

Marines: Marines faced exposure through transport on Navy ships, vehicle maintenance, construction activities, and the use of asbestos-containing equipment and materials.

The Tragedy of Military Asbestos Exposure 

For veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma, the challenge of their diagnosis is compounded by several troubling facts:

• By the 1940s, medical research had firmly established the connection between asbestos and lung disease and published materials that were distributed among the asbestos manufacturers and suppliers responsible for providing asbestos-containing materials to the military.
• By the 1960s, a definitive link between asbestos and mesothelioma had been established.
• Despite growing awareness of these dangers, the military continued extensive asbestos use into the 1970s
• Asbestos abatement projects began in the late 1970s and 1980s, but this was too late for many veterans, who had already experienced significant exposure.
• The long latency period of asbestos diseases (20-50 years between exposure and diagnosis) means many veterans are only now developing symptoms from service decades ago.
• Some military bases, naval yards, and ships still contain legacy asbestos, potentially exposing more recent veterans during deployments. This is especially true for those deployed to combat zones with damaged buildings originally constructed using asbestos.

Accessing VCCP Benefits for Asbestos-Related Diseases

Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or suspected of having any asbestos-related disease can access care through the VCCP by taking the following steps:

1. Enroll in VA Healthcare: Veterans must be enrolled in the VA healthcare system to access VCCP benefits.
2. File for Service Connection: Veterans should consider filing a disability claim to establish a connection between their service and their asbestos-related condition. Doing so can lead to additional benefits beyond healthcare.
3. Consult with a VA Primary Care Provider: The veteran’s VA provider can determine eligibility for community care and initiate referrals to appropriate specialists.
4. Request Community Care When Appropriate: Veterans who believe they are eligible can file a claim for community care. This is especially important for mesothelioma victims who want to access treatment at a specialty cancer treatment center.  
5. Appeal if Denied: Veterans who are denied community care have the right to appeal the decision if they believe they meet eligibility requirements.

How a Mesothelioma Attorney Can Help Veterans 

For veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases, the VCCP represents a significant improvement in access to life-extending specialized care that would otherwise be unavailable. Veterans may also be eligible to take legal action seeking compensation from the asbestos companies that placed the contaminated products into the environments in which they served. Though veterans are not able to sue the military, they can file claims against the asbestos trust funds that have been established by companies whose asbestos liabilities forced them into bankruptcy, as well as filing personal injury lawsuits against those companies that are still operating. 

An experienced asbestos attorney is an invaluable resource for anybody diagnosed with mesothelioma, but especially for anybody whose asbestos exposure was a result of their military service. They can provide you with assistance in filling out claims and proving your exposure to asbestos during the time you served. They can also help you identify the asbestos companies that placed asbestos-containing materials into the areas where you served and provide you with the information you need about pursuing personal injury lawsuits, settlements, and claims with the asbestos trust funds.