The Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. (Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — A bill led by Republican lawmakers has been introduced in the Senate to make it easier for veterans in rural towns to get health coverage from the Department of Veterans Affairs for medical care at a local hospital or clinic close to home.
The Critical Access for Veterans Care Act submitted by Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., would enable veterans to obtain care from hospitals and clinics with a “critical access” designation without first getting a referral or approval from a VA doctor.
The two lawmakers are members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The bill was referred last week to the committee for review. A hearing has not been scheduled.
The lawmakers described the legislation as offering veterans new options for health care in rural areas where there might not be a VA health facility nearby.
There are 1,377 hospitals with the “critical access” designation, according to the bill’s sponsors.
Critical access hospitals and clinics often are the only available care in some rural communities, yet veterans can only get VA coverage after first obtaining a referral from a VA doctor, the lawmakers said.
The bill prohibits the VA from requiring prior authorization or referrals for care. The VA also must match the reimbursement rates now used by Medicare at critical access hospitals. The federal insurance program is for older adults and people with severe disabilities.
“For too long, the status quo has failed veterans, especially in rural communities, leaving them without timely access to the high-quality care they have rightly earned,” said Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Pacific region.
“Our bill removes the unnecessary roadblocks, allowing veterans to freely pursue care at their local hospital or clinics already serving those communities,” Cramer said.
Established in 1997, the critical access program helps fund small hospitals in rural areas that serve residents who otherwise must travel long distances for emergency care.
Participating hospitals have up to 25 beds, and average hospital stays are less than 96 hours, according to the program.
Alan O’Neil, chief executive officer of Unity Medical Center in Grafton, N.D., said the legislation will not only benefit veterans but also increase use of rural hospitals such as his facility.
O’Neil said nearly 3 million veterans live in rural cities and towns that rely on critical access hospitals.
Unity Medical Center has served the greater Grafton community for more than a century. Grafton itself has a population of slightly more than 4,100 residents.
“This bill will not only help the veterans, but will also improve utilization of critical access hospitals,” O’Neil said.
