Healthcare Inspection Review of Patient Referrals to the Lower 48 States at the Alaska VA Healthcare System, Anchorage, Alaska

At the request of the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, OIG conducted a review of FY 2009 patient referrals and transfers from the Alaska VA Healthcare System (the system) in Anchorage, AK, to VA specialty care providers outside of Alaska (the Lower 48 States). In FY 2009, the system offered services to 15,170 VA enrollees and referred 591 (4 percent) of these patients to the Lower 48 States for specialty care. The transfer of these patients to the Lower 48 States appears to be a reasonable use of resources. Referrals provided veterans with specialty services either not available or with limited availability in Alaska such as spinal cord injury, neurosurgery, and neurology. We found that the system complied with existing laws and regulations related to providing health care to Alaskan VA enrollees. Factors related to Alaska’s location and geography pose challenges to providing a full range of health care services. In FY 2009, the system provided or addressed health care needs, either directly or indirectly, through DoD joint venture agreements and community contracted and fee-based services to 96 percent of enrollee health care needs within the state of Alaska. We made no recommendations.