At the “What’s Brewing” event sponsored by the Charles Mix County Veterans Service Office and the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, Deputy Secretary Aaron Pollard misspoke when he answered a question on Care in the Community.

The question posed to Pollard was “if I ask to see a private doctor through care in the community, why am I being told that I need to see a VA doctor if there is one available?” Pollard encouraged veterans to insist that they see the provider of their choice as that was the intention of the program..

Upon further research by South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, it has been determined that the Mission Acts Veterans Choice Program has expired and has been replaced by the Veterans Community Care program The new criteria for Veterans Community Care is designed to ensure that Veterans currently eligible for community care have access to the care they need. However, a final determination on eligibility for community care will continue to depend on the specific type of care you need, your circumstances, whether or not the care is available through a VA medical facility, and other factors.

Veterans who are eligible for Veterans Community Care should speak with their VA care team or a VA staff member at their local VA medical facility about their eligibility for community care. As always, anyone having questions may contact Charles Mix County Veterans Service Officer Jerry Seiner at 605-4877691 or 605-481-1338.