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State lawmakers fight for veterans’ health care, CVA-WI applauds effort

By Concerned Veterans for America

Grassroots veterans group commends bipartisan effort to urge VA to reinstate community care for veterans

 

MILWAUKEE, Wis.—The Wisconsin chapter of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA-WI) on Wednesday applauded state lawmakers for urging the VA to reverse course on its actions that limited community-based health care options for veterans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers – veterans and active duty servicemembers themselves – signed a letter expressing concern over the VA’s decision to pause community care under the VA MISSION Act, which effectively limited the options veterans have available should they need care.

“Veterans are potentially being denied care,” said Sam Rogers, CVA-WI Coalitions Director. “This is a time when the VA should be making as many options available for veterans as possible, not limiting them. We thank this group of lawmakers for coming together on behalf of Wisconsin’s veterans and urging the VA to reconsider this concerning practice.”

The letter pointed to the community care provision of the VA MISSION Act, saying “access to community care was and continues to be vital to the lives and wellbeing of veterans across the country, particularly in our state.”

 

Read the entire letter and see the full list of signers here.

 

Recently, CVA sent a letter to President Trump, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Wilkie and members of Congress outlining a set of policy recommendations and actions that will ensure veterans maintain access to health care services and position the VA to utilize its resources to meet the dynamic needs of the American public in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

BACKGROUND

The VA MISSION Act was developed with the goal of better integrating the VA with community health care providers, fixing structural issues with the VA’s outside care programs, and ultimately improving access to care while expanding the health care options available to veterans through the VA.

Notably, it was also endorsed by over 30 veteran service organizations (VSO) and was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support before being signed into law by President Trump in June 2018.

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