Importance: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act expanded opportunities for veterans to obtain care outside the VA. However, the impact on health care outcomes is uncertain.
Objective: To measure the MISSION Act's impact on travel times and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and aortic valve replacement (AVR).
Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective difference-in-differences cohort study included veterans receiving nonemergent/nonurgent PCI, CABG, or AVR between October 2016 and September 2022 in non-VA hospitals under MISSION Act coverage or in VA hospitals in the 48 contiguous US states or the District of Columbia. Analyses were conducted in 2023-2024.
Exposures: Veterans eligible for non-VA care under the MISSION Act by living far from ( >60 minutes) the nearest VA medical center vs veterans living near (≤60 minutes) a VA medical center.
Main outcomes and measures: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as rehospitalization for cardiovascular cause or mortality within 30 days of the procedure, and travel times for care were the primary outcomes.
Results: The cohort comprised veterans receiving PCI (n = 43 000; 42 066 [98%] male; mean [SD] age, 69 [8.8] years), CABG (n = 23 301; 22 197 [98%] male; mean [SD] age, 69 [7.7] years), or AVR (n = 14 682; 14 336 [98%] male; mean [SD] age, 74 [9.6] years). After MISSION implementation, mean PCI travel times increased by 1.3 minutes for near patients and decreased by 29.2 minutes for far patients (difference in differences, -30.5 minutes; P < .001). Mean CABG travel times increased by 9.4 minutes for near patients and decreased by 18.1 minutes for far patients (difference in differences, -27.4 minutes; P < .001). Mean travel times for AVR increased by 10.0 minutes for near patients and decreased by 23.0 minutes for far patients (difference in differences, -33.1 minutes; P < .001). After MISSION implementation, mean PCI MACE rates decreased by 0.5 percentage points for near patients and increased by 2.3 percentage points for far patients (difference in differences, 2.8 percentage points; P <.001). Mean CABG MACE rates decreased by 6.5 percentage points for near patients and increased by 1.6 percentage points for far patients (difference in differences, 8.1 percentage points; P < .001). AVR MACE rates were not statistically different between the groups (P = .45).
Conclusions and relevance: MISSION Act implementation was associated with substantial decreases in travel times among veterans who became geographically eligible for non-VA care. For these patients undergoing PCI or CABG, MISSION Act implementation was also associated with worsened 30-day MACE rates.