Benishek Applauds VA Effort to Improve Choice Act Eligibility

Statement

Today, Dr. Benishek released the following statement on the Department of Veterans Affairs' announced intentions to modify the rules of the Choice Act, legislation passed last year to improve the ability of veterans to access local care. Previously, the VA had required veterans to be further than 40 miles from a VA facility "as the crow flies" before becoming eligible for the Choice Card that allows veterans to obtain care from any local provider.

"Congress passed the Choice Act to ensure our veterans have access to the care they have earned, but the VA's original interpretation of the law proved to be a burden to many of our heroes. I have been working with the VA urging them to reconsider their interpretation, and I am pleased that they have changed the rules to better accommodate veterans like those in Northern Michigan who often had to travel long distances on account of a technicality", said Dr. Benishek. "It is just comment sense. I look forward to learning more details of this plan to ensure that it makes a real difference for Northern Michigan veterans."

The 40-Mile Rule proved to be a challenge to many veterans, especially those in Northern Michigan, who had to drive farther than 40 miles via rural roads, sometimes in harsh winter conditions, in order to reach a VA facility. While a veteran may be physically within 40 miles of a clinic, he or she may have been required to travel much further to actually reach the clinic. Since the passage of the Choice Act, Congressman Benishek has urged the VA to reconsider this interpretation of the law.

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