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Crapo introduces veterans health care
reform bill |
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October 6, 2016 |
Federal legislation to cut the red tape for
veterans seeking local health care has been
introduced by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, as part
of his continuing commitment to Idaho’s vets.
The “Improving Veterans Care in the Community
Act,” S. 3401, would make it easier for the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to send
veterans to local communities for health care.
The bill would consolidate existing, competing
programs and work to address concerns raised by
Idaho’s veterans and private health care
providers.
“These changes are the result of a three-year
effort we have undertaken to hear directly from
Idaho veterans on how to improve their health
care,” said Crapo. “This bill would enhance the
VA’s ability to have veterans receive health
care in their own communities. This will make it
easier for the VA to manage its Care in the
Community program while making it easier for
veterans to use. The advice and feedback from
folks in the veterans community was invaluable
and helped shape this bill into something that
can really make a difference for our veterans. I
can take this bill to my colleagues in Congress
and tell them that I know this is what Idaho
veterans want; I understand their needs and I’m
prepared to fight for them.”
The changes are a reaction to problems with the
original Veterans Choice Program that Crapo
heard about though his statewide veterans’
surveys and during his more than 200 town
meetings held statewide.
The Choice program was originally created in the
aftermath of the 2014 wait time manipulation
scandal at the Phoenix VA. The Choice program
was supposed to make it easier for veterans to
get health care if they faced excessive wait
times or long travel distance to VA facilities.
The program allows veterans living more than 40
miles from a VA facility to schedule private
care through the Choice Program.
Unfortunately, many veterans in Idaho still have
to travel long distances for care. Those
veterans fortunate enough to live near a
Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) still
face long distances if their CBOC does not offer
the medical service the veterans’ need.
Crapo’s bill would change the program to make
these veterans eligible for the new Care in the
Community Program.
Crapo noted that, while well-intended when
created by Congress, the Choice program has run
into problems for a number of reasons, not the
least of which was the 90 days the VA had to
implement the program. As a result, Crapo’s bill
would set up a two-year rollout of a
consolidated program, where one entity replaces
as many as eight separate programs that offer
non-VA care services.
It also would require the Government Accounting
Office (GAO) and an independent commission to
study veterans’ services and report directly to
Congress.
“This bill, if implemented correctly, would
improve wait times, scheduling of appointments,
improve timeliness of provider reimbursement and
offer better access for veterans with questions
or problems,” Crapo said. “Importantly, the bill
would also require the VA to educate veterans
about the new Care in the Community Program,
what’s available to them, and how it would work.
Again, I thank the many veterans, family
members, volunteers and service organizations
that have worked with us on these improvements
and we will continue our surveys and town
meetings to make sure these improvements are
working, once we get them approved by Congress.
These brave men and women put their lives on the
line for our freedom. They deserve better than
the existing status quo.” |
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