Grassley, Daines, Lummis Introduce Bill to Protect Health Care for Veterans

WASHINGTON– Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in introducing theProtecting Veteran Community Care Act. The legislation would strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) existing Community Care program and bolster veterans’ access to mental health services. It would also hold the VA accountable to Congress for the full implementation of theVA MISSION Act.
“Thousands of veterans call Iowa home, and each one deserves high-quality, accessible health care, including mental health care. Our legislation would strengthen theVA MISSION Actto ensure veterans can access quality care, close to home, in a timely manner,”Grassley said.
“Our nation’s veterans have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and the last thing they should have to worry about is mismanagement and delays at the VA. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this bill to strengthen the availability of community based mental health programs and ensure that our veterans have access to the care and resources that they deserve,”Daines said.
"Providing for those who've defended our nation is the VA's core purpose. This means Wyoming's courageous veterans deserve top-tier healthcare services regardless of their geographic location. I remain committed to ensuring veterans throughout our state can access the medical care they've earned in their local communities,"Lummis said.
Specifically, theProtecting Veteran Community Care Actwould:
Full text of the legislation can be foundHERE.
Background:
The Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) allows veterans to receive care in their local communities when they cannot receive it at a VA facility. When veterans use community care, the VA will pay for the veteran’s health care.
Last Congress, Grassley and Daines, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), sent aletterscrutinizing a VA report suggesting the agency was unethically limiting veterans’ access to community care networks. In a letter to then-VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the senators demanded to know how the VA is protecting health care options for veterans. These efforts echo concerns Grassleyraisedin 2022, when herequestedinformation on the VA’s progress towards implementing community care standards.

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