U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) joined Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller and colleagues as an original co-sponsor of the Veterans Access to Care Act, which passed the House today in an emergency effort to help veterans access timely healthcare.
“Our veterans deserve nothing less than immediate care," said Rep. Denham. “Secret wait lists will not be tolerated. Our veterans cannot and should not have to wait on any list. Importantly, this bill will allow Central Valley veterans to see local providers rather than traveling to the Palo Alto VA.”
About the Veterans Access to Care Act, H.R. 4810:
The Veterans Access to Care Act would require VA to offer non-VA care at the department’s expense to any enrolled veteran who cannot get an appointment within VA wait time goals or who lives more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility
Any care provided by a non-Department facility not under an existing VA contract would be reimbursed at the rate set by the VA, Tricare, or Medicare—whichever is greatest
The access portions of the bill would sunset two years after enactment of the bill
The bill would ban bonuses for all VA employees from FY 2014 – 2016 and require VA to submit a quarterly report to Congress including usage info and an accounting as to what purchase methods were used to provide non-VA care
The bill would require an independent assessment of Veterans Health Administration performance, to include recommendations for improvement of VA’s current and projected health care capabilities and resources
Under the bill, VA would be required to report to HVAC/SVAC on the Department’s response to the assessment’s findings and provide timelines for fully implementing the audit’s recommendations
The bill would also require the Office of Management and Budget to provide an estimate of the budgetary effects of the bill and any transfer authority needed to utilize savings realized by eliminating bonuses as well as a request for any additional budgetary resources, or transfers or reprogramming of existing budgetary resources necessary to pay for the bill
The Veterans Access to Care Act would complement the VA Management Accountability Act, a bill Rep. Denham supported that passed the house overwhelmingly last month and would give the VA secretary the power to fire failing VA executives for performance
