Toward strengthening healthcare delivery for United States military service members and veterans, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Dec. 16 proposed a bipartisan bill that would eliminate duplicative processes when medical providers move between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Healthcare providers shouldn’t be hindered by bureaucratic red tape when caring for the men and women who have bravely served our nation,” Sen. Blackburn said. “Our bipartisan legislation would end unnecessary duplication so that medical providers can move between the [departments] more quickly, ensuring service members and veterans get the high-quality care they need without delay.”
S. 3515, which Sen. Blackburn sponsored alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), would direct the DOD and VA secretaries to jointly select a joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers that would be used by both departments.
Currently, the DOD and VA use separate credentialing and privileging systems that do not transfer between departments, so when a provider moves from a DOD to a VA facility, or vice versa, they must often repeat the entire credentialing and privileging process from the beginning, according to the lawmakers.
“Healthcare providers who work at the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense do critical work in caring for the men and women who serve and have served our nation,” said Sen. Rosen. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan bill to remove bureaucratic red tape and allow medical providers to more easily practice between the two departments to improve care for veterans and service members.”
U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Susie Lee (D-NV) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.