Editor’s Note: Amy Magar, DACM, LAc, American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) federal advocacy chair, authored this article in collaboration with the ASA / NCCAOM advocacy leadership team, with fact checking by the VA.
The recent ASA / NCCAOM webinar introducing the VA’s external provider scheduling (EPS) system to its Community Care Network acupuncture providers drew significant interest. We had 3,000 attendees and maxed out our platform's capacity. For anyone who was unable to attend, you can view the webinar recording here.
The external provider scheduling (EPS) program streamlines the entire scheduling process by making your clinical calendar available to VA community care coordinators directly.
How Does This Benefit the Profession?
By allowing VA community care coordinators direct access to your clinical calendar, it eliminates the burdensome back-and-forth between sending faxes, contacting veterans, and faxing back appointment details before obtaining a VA referral number. The result? It takes about seven minutes to set up an appointment in the EPS program versus days using the traditional methods.
Key Benefits of EPS
The EPS system was developed by a team led by Richard Marble, solution train engineer in the Office of Integrated Veteran Care, Veterans Health Administration; and Jarin Eisenberg, who created the backend of this program and will serve as your primary point of contact.
The impact of this work cannot be overstated. As one veteran, Tiffany Jones, shares:
"Acupuncture has beautifully supported me doing the things I love. As a veteran, I deal with many challenges both physical and mental. Acupuncture makes my mind more clear, helps me manage anxiety, physical pain, and so much more. It makes me a better student, better partner, and enables me to make an impact and stay connected within my community. I am in a unique position as a veteran who also serves other veterans. Acupuncture is a powerful tool for physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. From stopping menstrual cramps to significantly reducing the impact and amount of stress I experience, I am grateful to every acupuncturist who works to serve humanity."
To learn more about joining the VA Community Care Network, click here. Once registered, you'll want to review the VA fee schedule, which varies by zip code.
Jarin Eisenberg, vice president of programs at WellHive, outlined the simple enrollment process:
Is EPS HIPAA compliant, and will it work with my EHR/scheduling system? Yes, the system is HIPAA compliant. VA is currently working to integrate with acupuncture-specific scheduling systems. In the meantime, systems like JaneApp can sync with Google Calendar, and you can use the HIPAA-compliant version of Google Suite until your software directly integrates with EPS.
What if referrals are being held up or patients are told they need to see an in-house provider? Howard L. Manuel, JD, deputy senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, addressed this concern during the webinar. The VA is actively working to remedy this situation and ensure veterans receive acupuncture and other complementary care services more quickly.
How does VACCN billing work? The fee structure is available at the link provided above and varies by location. The billing company you'll use depends on where you practice. When you sign up to become a VA community care acupuncturist, your contract will include this information.
For More Information
If you have questions, please reach out to the VA at EPSProvider@va.gov or through the links above. You can also contact Amy Mager directly at Advocacy@ASAcu.org.
The ASA and NCCAOM are grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with the VA to serve those who have served our country. Thank you to each of you who is already providing care to our veterans.
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Our team of authors offer this paper (and this descriptive AT series) as a support for you as a professional, practitioner and member of the acupuncture community at large. We hope that it will serve to further the needs of acupuncturists everywhere and also act as a guide for those wishing to learn about Acupuncture Medicine – patients, healthcare decision makers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.