Community Care is the way to go if he qualifies.....

Time delays, urgency, distance to VAMC from your home all factor in to that. There are a ton of 'in-network' providers who accept VA as long as the VA sends the referral. It's going to be the new way of doing business in the VA future. I think Doug's ultimate plan is to basically do away with brick and mortar VAs and just make them an administrative hub who refers people out into the community.

The VA will not volunteer that information. You have to already know about it and make them do their job. Their job is to keep you coming to their facilities so they can satisfy their own metrics, most people don't know they have car Community Care options that did not exist just 2 years ago.