VA: Veterans’ use of telehealth services up 17% in FY 2019

More than 900,000 veterans used the Department of Veterans Affairs’ telehealth services in fiscal year 2019, 17% more than in FY 2018, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday. The increase coincides with the first full year of VA’s Anywhere to Anywhere initiative, which allows VA health care teams to treat veterans regardless of their location, including across state lines. More than 99,000 veterans used the VA Video Connect app to connect with their care teams from home, with about two-thirds of the visits for tele-mental health care. VA’s ATLAS (Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations) program, launched last month, will offer video appointments with VA providers at certain Walmart stores and American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.