Modernizing Veterans’ health care experiences

Geographic isolation shouldn’t prevent Veterans from receiving care. However, “distance was identified by Veterans, providers and staff as the most impactful barrier for rural Veterans seeking health care,” according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health. On average, Veterans traveled 89 miles to a VA primary care clinic. This underscores the urgent need for innovative network solutions that meet Veterans at the time and place of their choosing. 

While distance remains a key factor, the Office of Rural Health points toward patient health, financial constraints and time limitations as barriers to providing care. While the VA works to address some of these issues through innovative partnerships, like its collaboration with Uber to make transportation more accessible, filling these gaps will require a whole of industry commitment. At Optum, subject matter experts are pioneering unique strategies to help provide timely care to Veterans, by addressing gaps in care across demographics. 

“We’re looking for ways in which we can help the VA provide timely, cost-effective care, whether that be through telehealth appointments or sending mobile units to a fixed location,” said Josh Beauchene, business and data analysis manager at Optum. 

Connecting providers and Veterans 

The Optum provider network encompasses over one million health systems and providers across more than 2.4 million different care sites — including 189,584 high performing providers (HPPs) and 378 centers of excellence (CoE). Across the network, efficiency and care are prioritized, ensuring that Veterans are able to access services when needed. Since the inception of the contract the network has supported the following:

• 22.3 million referrals across medical, dental and urgent care with an average claim adjudication time of 7.7 days 
• 2.4M+ contracted care sites across 36 states allows for greater access to care

These figures underscore a dedication to service excellence. By increasing efficiency across the network, Optum is helping to build a system designed to meet Veterans’ needs through prompt, high-quality service. 

For Beauchene and Julie Reynertson, director of credentialing and provider education, at Optum, the goal is to seamlessly combine quality care with digitally native systems. Self-service portals for providers and Veterans can help minimize wait times and increase access to resources, but without education around the technology and Veteran culture, these tools are just that, tools. 

“We try to coach our network on what the contractual requirements are, we educate them, and we have advocates that work directly with the network and VA for any feedback that they may have about the network,” said Reynertson. “Ultimately, the bottom line is that we’re caring for Veterans and that’s our primary concern.” 

Seen, heard and valued 

Navigating the transition from active duty to civilian life can be challenging. As an organization dedicated to supporting Veterans, Optum prioritizes partnerships with providers and organizations that help Veterans feel seen, heard and valued throughout their health care journey. 

With a significant number of full-time employees who are Veterans themselves, having served across various branches, the team at Optum brings an innate sense of understanding to the requirements asked of VA CCN contract holders. It’s this insider perspective that allows Optum to tailor its services to the specific needs of the Veteran community, addressing the visible and invisible wounds of service. 

Across the network, Veterans are able to access a wealth of services from Mental Health to Emergency Care and Pain Management. Other additional services include, but are not limited to: 

• Pharmacy
• Dental
• Chiropractic 
• Skilled Nursing 
• Hypnotherapy 
• Tai Chi 

By combining different care modalities with efficient service, modern systems and an innate understanding of the Veteran experience, Optum creates positive health care experiences that improve patient outcomes, streamline access to care, and foster long-term trust and well-being for those who have served.

“We know that the VA’s needs are ever evolving,” said Reynertson. “It can have a significant impact on how things are run, so we try to partner with the VA to help find solutions that help them meet their end goals. Because at the end of the day, we all have the same goal which is to treat Veterans with the dignity and care they deserve.”