Just to clarify:
Those clinics are NOT affilliated to VA neither my EHR system. Those clinics operates under local regulation. They usually use USA EHR system. My EHR is just designed for being more compact and more specific needs for them, for example matching names for medications in spanish and available in local market.
What they do is create the best environment to veterans providing the services and resources more convenient to them in a local scope. They are founded by veterans who know the process.
As an example imagine the common scenario without the clinic:
- You visit a local clinic/hospital and get attended for a therapist for a service connected diagnostic and be attended in spanish.
- You pay for the services
- You then fill out a claim form, with the service you got
- You send this claim to FMP.
- You receive a check and EOB of the payment. Possible wrong if you dont use the right medical terms
With these special clinic you:
- Get attended by a therapist that know english.
- You dont pay for the services.
- The clinic fill out the forms for you with right terms and codes (CPT and ICD) you signed.
- The clinic send the claim to FMP.
- Clinic receive the payment and EOB, if they got it wrong they assume.
This is just a simple example of service, they also help you with the prescribed medication etc.
As you can see no do required to be affiliated , because VA affiliation just exists in USA , Canada. This kind of services started in Panama like Hospital Brisas there, that also is NOT affiliated with VA.