June 6, 2014
On June 5, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) agreed on the framework of a bipartisan veterans’ health care bill.
The bill would implement a number of reforms to fix the problems exposed by the recent scandal that resulted in VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s resignation.
The omnibus proposal improves VA health care from a number of angles, including:
- expedite the hiring of new medical personnel at hospitals and clinics that lack enough doctors, nurses, and other necessary medical staff
- authorize the VA to lease 26 new medical facilities to expand access to care
- expedite authority to fire incompetent high level VA officials
- allow veterans living more than 40 miles from a VA hospital or clinic to access healthcare through private providers
- allow veterans unable be seen within VA health care access standards to be seen by private doctors, community health centers, DoD medical facilities (if the local facility determines it has space available), and facilities funded by the Indian Health Service
- establish an independent commission to improve VA health care scheduling and construction
It also improves the Post-9/11 GI Bill by ensuring that veterans receive in-state tuition rates at public universities and colleges, and extends GI bill benefits to the surviving spouses of veterans killed on active duty.
This bipartisan agreement includes many improvements already passed by the House.
Although MOAA is encouraged by the collaboration of both parties to find a solution to improve access, we remain concerned how this bill could impact access to military treatment facilities for current TRICARE beneficiaries.
Also this week, MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, USN (Ret) spoke on the VA health care problems during a June 2 interview on ABC 7 in Washington.
View the video and learn more about MOAA’s proposal to conduct a full review of the VA health system to initiate additional reforms.