COLDWATER, Kan. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that veterans enrolled in the Project Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot program will continue receiving health care close to home after the program ends on Aug. 7, 2016.

“Today’s announcement that veterans will continue to receive care without interruption when Project ARCH ends next month is welcome news for Kansas veterans,” Sen. Moran said. “Veterans living in rural America face unique challenges when accessing health care, and I’m pleased our veterans will continue to receive quality, timely care in the communities they call home.”

Veterans participating in Project ARCH will continue to benefit from health care services without interruption when the pilot program ends next month through options available under the Veterans Choice Program, such as the “unusual or excessive burden provision” and Provider Agreements.

Veterans enrolled in the program will be contacted directly by the VA; however, Kansas veterans with questions about the upcoming transition should contact Sen. Moran’s Olathe, Kan., office at (913) 393-0711.

Background
In May, Sen. Moran called on the Veterans Health Administration Under Secretary for Health Dr. David Shulkin to provide continuity of care for veterans currently utilizing ARCH as contracts under the program expire in August 2016.

Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites, including Pratt, Kan. Analysis shows that more than 90 percent of veterans who received primary care services through ARCH were “completely satisfied” with the services, and cited significantly shortened travel times to receive this care.

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