CARIBOU, Maine — A provision to extend the life of a popular federal program allowing rural veterans to get health care close to home advanced in Congress on Thursday.
A two-year extension of the Access Received Closer to Home or ARCH program was included in the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill that was passed unanimously Thursday by the Appropriations Committee, according to U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. The measure now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
The ARCH program has been operating at Cary Medical Center in Caribou since 2011, when it was one of five facilities in the country selected as a program test site.
Though considered by some veterans and members of Maine’s congressional delegation as “a model for the nation,” ARCH is set to expire in August, and President Barack Obama’s administration is considering whether or not to roll it into other programs, including the newer Veteran’s Choice Program.
That program has been troubled, however, especially in Maine where less than half of veterans asking for care under Veteran’s Choice were getting appointments between July 2015 and January, according to data from the VA Maine Healthcare System.
“I’ve heard from countless Maine veterans about the extraordinary success of ARCH in eliminating long and difficult travel, reducing wait times and providing access to high-quality care in their own communities,” Collins said in a written statement Thursday. “Preserving this local access to health care is one of my top priorities, and I am so pleased that this true lifeline for Maine’s veterans will be extended.”
The Aroostook site has served about 1,600 local veterans through more than 17,000 medical appointments, according to data provided by the Caribou hospital.
“There is more work left to be done, but this is a significant step forward in our work to extend this vital program and ensure that Maine’s veterans receive the timely and convenient health care services they deserve,” King said in a separate statement Thursday.
