Mayo Clinic expands commitment to serving veterans by participating in VA Community Care Network

Veterans in the Upper Midwest may now be eligible to receive care in their local communities from Mayo Clinic Health System providers; and veterans around the country may be eligible for unique care for complex health issues at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Mayo Clinic in Florida and Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. This expanded access is a result of Mayo Clinic’s participation in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Community Care Network.

“Mayo Clinic has long been committed to care for veterans, and this agreement allows us to expand access for community care in the upper Midwest,” says Pierre Noel, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Military Medicine. “In keeping with the Mayo Clinic Model of Care, more options will be available for them to obtain high-quality care close to home.”

While there are some VA health care facilities in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin regions also served by Mayo Clinic Health System, not all patients have convenient access to high-quality care in their own communities. Mayo Clinic’s agreement with the VA makes it possible for veterans to receive authorizations for care at any Mayo Clinic Health System location. Veterans may be eligible for this care when community care requirements are met and authorized by the VA.

In addition to expanding access to community care in rural and other underserved areas of the Upper Midwest, the agreement also includes provisions to allow for specialty care at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Mayo Clinic in Florida or Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Veterans receiving care anywhere in the VA network who have a particular health need that can be uniquely addressed by Mayo Clinic may receive authorization from the VA to receive services at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Mayo Clinic in Florida or Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

“We already see many special circumstance patients, but this agreement will make it easier to identify and serve veterans who would most benefit from Mayo Clinic care,” says Dr. Noel. “We are uniquely equipped to help patients with highly complex health care concerns and are pleased to have found another pathway for these veterans to receive care.”

The new agreement replaces and expands on an interim 2019 agreement. Those veterans who have been receiving care from Mayo Clinic under this agreement, or those already established for hospice and dialysis services, will not experience a change in care due to this new participation.

Veterans who are interested in determining if they are eligible for care through the Community Care Network and wish to be considered for care at a Mayo Clinic location using their VA benefits should contact their VA care team/coordinator to discuss their options. For more information, visit the VA’s Community Care website.