Veterans Deserve Full Health Care Choice!
With growing tensions in the Middle East, looming tax increases and Americans paying more than ever before in the checkout line, the last thing we need is to continue to worry about health care choice.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues acting as a barrier by denying and delaying veterans' access to the critical care they need and deserve, willfully skirting the law. Even with the bipartisan VA MISSION Act enacted in 2018 that mandated standards for veterans to access health care options in their community, the VA continues to build barriers.
Under the current VA care model, some veterans drive hours to hospitals only to find their appointments canceled. Tragically, veterans have been left to die while waiting for vital cancer treatments and appointments to be scheduled. The lackluster care that veterans are receiving cannot continue.
The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act would empower veterans with full choice and flexibility to access health care where they want, when they want.
As the VA continues to restrict and deny veterans' access to the community care options required by the VA MISSION Act, the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act removes the bureaucratic barriers many veterans face in accessing health care closer to home or at higher quality facilities in their local communities by eliminating the current requirement to receive pre-authorization from the VA.
By law, the VA must refer veterans to community care if the wait time for primary or mental health care appointment at a VA facility is more than 20 days or the drive time is longer than 30 minutes. The VHCFA would allow veterans full choice over their health care by removing VA bureaucrats from the decision.
It's simple - our nation's heroes should have the option to choose the health care provider that best meets their needs, even when that means taking their benefits outside of the VA to get that care.
I urge you to support and pass the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act!