Cramer - VA Works to Expand Choice Program Eligibility

Press Release

Today, Congressman Kevin Cramer announced the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has expanded eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program. This expanded eligibility comes from a change in the calculation the department uses to determine the distance from a veteran's home and the closest VA medical facility from the current straight line distance to the driving distance between the two locations.

"I am grateful the VA is making this commonsense change in its regulations to expand access to medical care to our veterans. This is especially important in rural states like North Dakota where the driving distance between a veteran's home and an eligible VA medical facility can be a great distance. I urge the VA to go further and reform eligibility for health care based on a veteran's medical needs at a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). " said Cramer.

The change is expected to roughly double the number of eligible veterans. The Veterans Choice Program is a new, temporary benefit that allows eligible Veterans to receive health care in their communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Understanding more needs to be done to address the health care needs of our veterans, Congressman Cramer is co-sponsoring H.R. 572, the "Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015". Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed H.R. 3230, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, which allows veterans to access health care outside the VA system if they lived more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility. Unfortunately, the VA has interpreted the law to apply the 40-mile eligibility criteria in a manner taking into account only how far a veteran lives from a VA medical facility regardless if the facility can provide the medical services a veteran requires. H.R. 572 would ensure the VA offers access to community care if a veteran lives within 40 miles of a VA medical facility if it cannot provide the care a veteran requires.

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