Gottlieb said the new agreements allow for Native and non-Native veterans to receive primary care at non-VA clinics across the state. She said the challenge is getting the word out to veterans that live in rural Alaska and making sure they identify themselves as veterans when they seek care.

Begich, who serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, questioned how long it will take to determine the positive and negative aspects of the program, such as whether or not all the groups involved are effectively communicating.

He added that the option is a “great addition” to the health care system in Alaska for veterans who may otherwise have to fly to Anchorage or Seattle for covered treatment they could have received closer to home.

Gottlieb said the Southcentral Foundation is proficient at collecting data to make any adjustments deemed necessary to streamline the program, but that it will also take time to raise awareness about the program itself.