Veterans group urges passage of bill to remove VA barriers to veterans’ health care choice
ARLINGTON, Va.— Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Deputy Director Russ Duerstine issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.).
If passed, this bill would create a pilot program to provide eligible veterans full health care choice. It would remove 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 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Four years after enactment, the pilot program would be expanded permanently nationwide.
Russ Duerstine, CVA’s Deputy Director, had this to say about the bill:
“It’s tragic veterans still don’t have the same options as most Americans regarding where and when they can access health care. The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act would ensure veterans have choice by holding the VA accountable to help them access care rather than act as a bureaucratic barrier. 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. It needs to be up to them. Sen. Blackburn’s bill would make health care choice a reality for veterans, rather than an exception.”
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