WASHINGTON (WOWO): U.S. Sen. Jon Husted has joined legislation designed to improve veterans’ access to medical care by strengthening the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Care Program.
According to Husted’s office, the Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers, or ACCESS, Act is being led by Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. A companion measure has been introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Bost.
Husted said the legislation would help ensure veterans receive timely access to health care when services are not readily available through the Veterans Health Administration.
“Our veterans have sacrificed for our country and deserve access to quality and timely health care,” Husted said in a statement. “Too often, long wait times or limited availability can stand in the way of getting the care they need.”
According to the bill’s sponsors, the ACCESS Act would establish current community care eligibility standards as a baseline for veterans seeking care outside the VA system. The legislation would also streamline access to mental health and addiction treatment services and expand the factors the VA must consider when determining whether community-based care is in a veteran’s best medical interest.
Those additional factors would include a veteran’s preference and continuity of care, according to supporters of the legislation.
Moran said the measure is intended to ensure veterans receive prompt treatment and greater flexibility in choosing where and how they receive health care services.
The legislation has received support from a number of veterans organizations, including the Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, among others.
According to Husted’s office, the proposal builds on his ongoing efforts to expand health care access for veterans, including separate legislation focused on improving disability claim examinations for veterans living in rural communities.
The ACCESS Act has been introduced in Congress and awaits further consideration.
