RAND Corporation

Veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system typically receive care at VA facilities. However, when wait times are long, travel is difficult, or based on personal preference, veterans may access private-sector care through the VA Community Care Network—paid for by the VA. Over the past decade, the number of veterans receiving community-based care has grown significantly, fueled by changes in federal policy. Despite this growth, no comprehensive public data exists on the VA’s Community Care Network—nationally or at the state level. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for New York veterans and stakeholders to navigate through the system or fully assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of proposed policy changes. In 2025, NYHealth awarded a grant to the RAND Corporation to analyze how proposed federal policy changes that would expand reliance on private-sector care could affect access and health outcomes for veterans in New York State.

Under this grant, RAND will assess the current landscape of both VA-delivered and VA-purchased care; examine how a shift toward increased private-sector care could affect veterans statewide; create a dataset of VA care use; analyze trends in access and utilization; and share findings and recommendations with New York stakeholders.