Largest grassroots veterans group supports legislation that would hold VA accountable to uphold its mission to veterans
ARLINGTON, Va. – Concerned Veterans for America Senior Advisor Nate Anderson issued a statement following the introduction of the Veterans’ ACCESS Act – a bill that would protect veterans’ health care choices from bureaucratic meddling and hold the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable for improving veterans’ awareness of and access to their preferred treatment choices – even when that treatment is not at a VA facility:
“For too long, veterans have been denied access to the care our nation has promised because the VA refused to carry out the MISSION Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in 2018. The Veterans’ ACCESS Act, sponsored by Rep. Bost and Sen. Moran, will complete this mission for veterans by ensuring VA fulfills the original promise of the MISSION Act. By protecting and expanding access to VA and community care treatment choices alike, the Veterans’ ACCESS Act will provide accountability and choice by putting the veteran, not bureaucracy, first.”
Background
If passed, the proposed Veterans’ ACCESS Act would implement:
- Codified access standards: Legally codifies existing community care access standards in place since 2019 to provide veterans greater certainty about their health care options.
- Community care eligibility and status outreach: Requires the VA Secretary to inform veterans of their community care eligibility. If referrals are denied, the bill requires the VA to inform veterans about why and how to appeal.
- Self-scheduling portals: Requires the VA to develop online portals allowing veterans to self-schedule appointments at VHA facilities or at community care providers, allowing them to receive appointment reminders, track referrals, and appeal decisions.
- Full choice pilots for mental health, substance abuse: Creates a three-year pilot offering veterans access to outpatient mental health and/or substance use treatment through community care without prior VA referral.
- Longer claim, reimbursement deadlines: Extends community care providers’ deadlines for submitting claims for reimbursement from 180 days to 1 year, per industry standards.
- Telehealth outreach: Requires the VA to discuss telehealth choices with veterans when it is an available and appropriate treatment option, while ensuring that telehealth is not abused to satisfy VA wait-time targets for in-person care.
- Accurate wait times: Requires the VA to measure wait times from a veteran’s date of request for an appointment to the date they receive care, as already stipulated in MISSION Act regulations but currently ignored by the VA.
- In-patient mental health referrals: Creates a standardized process to refer veterans for priority or routine admission for in-patient mental health care, ensuring that veterans are able to choose between VHA and community care facilities based on existing eligibility access standards.