All providers and agencies with an existing Veterans Care Agreement (VCA) and those entering a new agreement for a VCA must transition to the new Credentials Verification Organization (CVO) contract to provide services to Veterans. CVO services will begin on April 1, 2022. 

VA uses VCAs when in-network providers do not have the care or services needed or the services are not offered by surrounding in-network facilities. The CVO contract will assist VA in assessing whether non-Community Care Network (CCN) providers and agencies meet credentialing standards to deliver care to Veterans. 

How This Will Affect You  

• Failure of a provider to complete credentialing through the CVO contract may result in the discontinuance of their VCA.
• New VCAs that are not urgently needed, may take up to 30 days for the CVO to fully credential and be available for use, this timeline will be dependent on the provider’s response time to supply information as needed to the CVO.
• The new CVO process does not affect VCAs needed on an emergent basis, as determined through the VCA Team approval process.  While those providers will be referred to the CVO contractor, VHA has a process in place to ensure emergent Veteran care needed through a VCA is not delayed.
• Notification will begin in March 2022 with current VCAs that will expire in May and June of 2022. 

What You Need to Know  

• All VCA providers and agencies (existing and new) will be required to undergo an assessment and the full credentialing process. 
• The assessment will address whether providers/agencies are medically qualified, licensed, and competent to provide care to Veterans. 
• VA has partnered with contractor RLDatix/Verge Health to perform the assessment and credentialing. 
• VCA provider applications will be sent to the provider's primary email address. This email will include a link and instructions on how to activate your account and access the web-based credentialing application. The primary email address will also be used as a courtesy to communicate regarding future expiring records notices. Expect these email notifications to begin in March 2022.
• Providers will be required to submit credentialing documentation to RLDatix/Verge Health through their web-based credentialing software to maintain an existing VCA or start a new VCA. 
• Additional information for providers is available on the VA Community Care webpage.  
• If a current provider or agency is not approved for a VCA due to this process they can request an appeal via email to OCCCVOCredentialing@va.gov 

Verge Health’s support team can be reached by phone or email Monday-Friday,  7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST at 843-628-4186, Option 1 or via email at credentialingsupport@vergehealth.com.

What matters to you most? Making money? Your grandchildren? Or being able to run a 3K?

Ask Veterans these Whole Health questions to engage them in their physical and mental health to help them live their fullest life.

The Whole Health approach provides care that is respectful of and responsive to a Veteran’s preferences, needs, and values. It shifts the conversation from “What is the matter with you?” to “What matters to you?” 

The Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) mission is to honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and wellbeing. Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers AND equips people to take charge of their health and well-being. Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) is an important piece of this model of care.

This recorded, knowledge-based presentation will provide an overview of the whole health system of care implementation in VHA to date, a summary of the evidence for several complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches provided in this model, and a discussion around the provision of CIH within VHA and in the community and health-care teams.

Register for the webinar at VHA TRAIN: Whole Health: Providing Healthcare in VHA and in the Community: ID Create a VHA TRAIN account.  Complete the course evaluation and add your NPI to receive course completion in the Provider Profile Management System (PPMS).  

Do you think precertification notification delays patient care? It doesn’t! It can help Veterans.

When providers precertify it can offset Veteran copayments, increase Veteran satisfaction and may return additional funds to medical facilities. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) bills Third Party Payers (TPPs) for non-service- connected/special authority care, including community care services, per Title 38 Federal law. That’s why VA requires timely notification of care requiring TPP precertification and timely submission of clinical and medical documentation. It’s called precertification.

VA is working to make the precertification process simple and accessible as notification is critical for VA to effectively bill TPPs for care rendered. 

Precertification information and instructions can be found using the HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM) Community Provider Portal by clicking on the Offline Referral link. Providers should review the updated VA Offline Referral page to determine if the referral requested includes bill codes that require review for VA precertification. 

Get more information in this VAntage Point blog, access the Provider Precertification webpage or contact the Revenue Operations Nurse Executive Team.

Can you tell us how many Veterans commit suicide while receiving care? Do you have a plan in place to discuss and prevent Veteran suicide with each Veteran?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) trains providers in VA and the community to use VA protocols and practices that define care management for those at risk of suicide.

When Veterans are in an acutely suicidal state (how long they think about making a suicide attempt before they attempt suicide) the episode doesn’t last very long. By discussing available VA therapies and safety planning, including lethal means restriction, providers can help Veterans through this state.

Register for the Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety & Safety Planning webinar at VHA TRAIN: ID: 1102120, 1 hr. / 1 CEU. Create a VHA TRAIN account, complete the end-of-course evaluation and add your NPI to receive course completion in the Provider Profile Management System (PPMS). 

The Veterans Crisis Line offers support and crisis intervention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255, Press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.