New VA Surgery Rating System Affects Where Vets Get Care

Veterans Travel Farther For Surgery With New Policy 06/19/2010. A new rating system now restricts the types of surgery performed at certain Veterans Affairs facilities in five states. The new policy will prompt some veterans to travel farther to reach other VA facilities or civilian hospitals for more complex surgeries. The policy comes after investigations found that surgical mistakes had caused nine deaths in the department's Marion, Ill., hospital a few years ago. NPR