Denham Introduces Bill to Speed Up Access to Quality Healthcare for Veterans

Press Release

In the wake of reports of veterans dying while waiting for access to medical appointments through the Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) today introduced the Veterans Need Timely Access to Care Act, H.R. 4779, which would increase and speed up healthcare access for veterans nationwide.

"Our veterans deserve a world-class healthcare system and a VA that works," said Rep. Denham. "We must ensure those who sacrificed so much receive the care they were promised even if that means seeing a local doctor at VA expense."

The Veterans Need Timely Access to Care Act would automatically make a veteran pre-authorized for care from a local doctor or clinic outside of the VA if the wait time for an appointment was longer than the VA's current wait time goals of 7 days for primary care and 14 days in the case of specialty care.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has struggled to meet their wait time goals and GAO reports have found inadequate technology and inconsistent procedures contributed to scheduling delays at VA clinics and hospitals. Recently allegations that the Phoenix Park VA Hospital maintained a secret wait list have made it clear that in some VA centers there was widespread collusion to falsify data in order to appear to meet the wait time goals. This legislation would provide an alternate path to quality care for veterans across the country.

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