CRS Report on Project HERO Implementation

Veterans Health Care: Project HERO Implementation 02/04/10. In general, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), provides a majority of medical services to veterans within its health care system.  However, in some instances, such as when a clinical service cannot be provided by a VA medical center, when a veteran is unable to access VA health care facilities due to geographic inaccessibility, or in emergencies when delays could lead to life threatening situations, VHA is
authorized by law to send the veteran outside of VA’s health care system to seek care. In 2006, the conference report to accompany the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-114, H.Rept. 109-305) directed the VA to implement a cost-effective purchased care management program and to develop at least three pilot programs to encourage collaboration with industry and academia. In response to this requirement, VHA established a demonstration program to enhance the existing fee basis care program that was named Project HERO (Healthcare Effectiveness through Resource Optimization). Congressional Research Service via Federation of American Scientists