Table 1.

Veteran Characteristics of Respondents Eligible for the Veterans Choice Program, Stratified by Attempt and Receipt of Care in the Choice Program in 2015

Characteristics	Attempt and receipt of care under the Veterans Choice Program						p value
	No attempt (n = 35)		Attempted only* (n = 43)		Received Choice care (n = 117)
	N	%	N	%	N	%
Race/ethnicity							0.82
Non-Hispanic White	26	74.3	31	72.1	87	74.4
Non-Hispanic Black	6	17.1	5	11.6	14	12.0
Other	3	8.6	7	16.3	16	13.7
Female gender	2	5.7	4	9.3	13	11.1	0.64
Age (mean, SD)	60.3	14.0	62.1	10.7	63.9	11.4	0.26
Married/living as married	22	62.9	21	48.8	71	61.2	0.32
Education level							0.47
≤High school/GED	8	22.9	11	25.6	29	25.2
Trade school/some college	15	42.9	25	58.1	57	49.6
≥College graduate	12	34.3	7	16.3	29	25.2
Employment status							0.91
Employed	8	22.9	9	20.9	20	17.1
Not employed	12	34.3	15	34.9	39	33.3
Retired	15	42.9	19	44.2	58	49.6
Most recent service							0.48
Vietnam War	15	42.9	26	60.5	70	59.8
Post-Vietnam	10	28.6	8	18.6	22	18.8
Persian Gulf	10	28.6	9	20.9	25	21.4
Fair/poor health status	12	34.3	20	47.6	45	45.3	0.44
Worse health compared with 1 year ago	11	31.4	15	35.7	45	38.5	0.74
Number of comorbid conditions							0.49
0–1	10	29.4	6	14.0	26	22.2
2–3	10	29.4	16	37.2	45	38.5
4+	14	41.2	21	48.8	46	39.3
Confidence with medical forms							0.58
Not at all/a little bit/somewhat	3	9.1	7	16.3	18	15.4
Quite a bit	7	21.2	4	9.3	20	17.1
Extremely	23	69.7	32	74.4	79	67.5
Eligibility							0.001
Distance only	27	77.1	32	74.4	58	49.6
Wait time only	1	2.9	4	9.3	5	4.3
Distance and wait time	7	20.0	7	16.3	54	46.2

*Attempted but had not received Choice care

GED general equivalency diploma, VA Department of Veterans Affairs