Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) became an original co-sponsor of legislation on Wednesday that would allow veterans to seek medical care at facilities that aren’t operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in some circumstances.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced the Veterans Choice Act on Tuesday in response to allegations of inappropriate scheduling and record keeping within the VA.
Portman questioned former VA Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel last year about the potential use of private healthcare providers by the VA during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.
“Our veterans should be the first in line for the best care, and this legislation takes important steps toward helping our veterans receive the care they deserve,” Portman said. “At a hearing last year, Mr. Petzel assured me that the VA would increase the use of private providers to deal with access issues. Clearly, they have failed to do this adequately in the year since. There are still systemic problems throughout the VA, which is why we should increase healthcare choices, track quality improvement, and change the culture of the VA itself.”
Under the Veterans Choice Act, veterans would be able to seek care at non-VA affiliated facilities if wait times for appointments exceed pre-determined metrics, or if there isn’t a VA facility within 40 miles of a veteran.
The bill would also take steps to increase transparency and accountability within the VA. It would make it easier for senior officials to be fired or demoted based on performance, and the VA would be required to make more information public, if it were signed into law.