VA moves to speed up community care appointment scheduling

WASHINGTON — Technology that will help the Department of Veterans Affairs schedule community care appointments faster than ever before is now up and running at all VA facilities, and VA will be expanding its use in 2026 so Veterans can more easily choose the health care they’ve earned. The External Provider Scheduling system gives VA employees instant access to the scheduling systems of all community care providers who participate in this program. With that information, VA can immediately book appointments for Veterans that fit their schedules. Without EPS, VA employees often have to make multiple calls to multiple community care providers and relay that information back to Veterans before a single appointment can be booked. Under this traditional method, a single VA employee can only book a handful of community care appointments per day, and it can take days or even weeks to book a single appointment. But EPS enables VA employees to book as many as 25 appointments per day, a vast improvement that means less waiting time for Veterans. The Biden Administration had access to this system but did not deploy it nationwide. Under the second Trump Administration, EPS was implemented in all VA facilities by late 2025. Today, 27,000 community care providers are participating in the EPS program covering 78 medical specialties. VA’s goal is to sign up thousands of additional community care providers in 2026 as part of VA’s ongoing effort to deliver timely, Veteran-centered care. It costs nothing for providers to participate in EPS — community care providers can learn more here about how to participate. “When President Trump signed the MISSION Act, Veterans eligible for community care were guaranteed the right to choose the health care that’s best for them, whether at a VA facility or a community provider,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “We are making it easier and more convenient than ever for those who have worn the uniform to choose the care that best fits their lifestyle.”