The Veterans Administration (VA) recently posted updated Veterans Care Agreements (VCAs) rates for participating skilled nursing facility (SNF) providers. This is great news for the profession because the VCA SNF payment rates for short-stay SNF care have increased by approximately 50%, and long-stay veteran care payments have increased by approximately one-third. These rate increases apply retroactively for dates of service beginning October 1, 2023.

As you may know, AHCA has been working collaboratively with the VA and on Capitol Hill for many years to advocate for VCAs, which increase the opportunity for veterans to obtain non-VA extended care from local providers. VCAs help to ensure that our nation’s veterans can remain in their communities or close to loved ones to receive vital and often life-sustaining medical services rather than having to go to a distant VA facility.

VCA agreements also offer a more streamlined and less burdensome participation process for providers. Initially, the VCA rates were not attractive and, in some cases, insufficient to cover the cost of care. Few providers elected to participate, leaving geographic gaps across the country where veterans continued to face challenges accessing nursing home care.

That is why this increase is such good news. Clif and I would like to call attention to two individuals at AHCA who were instrumental in obtaining this win.

First, we want to recognize Dana Ritchie. Dana developed strong relationships and has worked diligently with VA staff, U.S. Senator Hoeven (R-ND) and other key members of Congress, North Dakota State Executive Shelly Peterson, and AHCA members in advancing and securing enactment of the 2018 VA MISSION Act that created the VCA program. She also supported the subsequent rollout. These rate increases would not have occurred without the enactment of the AHCA-endorsed provision that authorized VA provider agreements in the MISSION Act.

We also want to recognize Dan Ciolek who has been the AHCA lead on Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM)-related policy issues for the past several years. The VA reached out to AHCA for insights on identifying payment policy levers within PDPM that could be adjusted to provide more appropriate payments for short- and long-stay veteran care needs within VA budgetary constraints. Working with Dana, Dan provided policy expertise regarding the design of PDPM to assist the VA effort leading to this needed and important VCA rate increase to ensure SNFs are able to provide critical care to our nation’s veterans.

We encourage members with a current VCA provider agreement and those who may be interested in obtaining this agreement to review this additional important information, including VA points of contact. (Please note this content is for AHCA members only and requires a log in to access.) AHCA will also host a member webinar with the VA in early 2024; more information will be available soon.

This has been a great team effort and an important win for our nation’s veterans and the profession. Thank you for your support as we continue in our mission to improve lives by delivering solutions for quality care.

Mark Parkinson,
President & CEO

Clif Porter,
SVP of Government Relations