Ruppersberger, Hudson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Veterans Health Care, Reduce Backlog

Press Release

Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02) and Richard Hudson (NC-08) today introduced the bipartisan Care Veterans Deserve Act of 2016 (H.R. 5262) to expand access to healthcare at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while improving choice, flexibility and quality in veterans' healthcare.

"The VA backlogs in Baltimore and around the country are slowly improving, but we still have a lot of work to do on behalf of our nation's heroes," Congressman Ruppersberger said. "I have witnessed first-hand the frustration that many veterans feel while trying to accomplish what should be simple tasks like making doctor's appointments and filling prescriptions. This bipartisan bill will help us make good on our promise to give veterans the very best care and quality of life possible."

"I have long said we have to break the bureaucratic stronghold at the VA by first allowing veterans the option of seeking private care in their own communities," said Rep. Hudson. "This legislation will do that while empowering veterans with more choice and flexibility so they can get the quality and timely health care they have earned. This is a significant step to end the backlogs, wait-times and red tape nightmare that too many veterans face every day. I'm proud to introduce this legislation to give veterans more control over their health care and will work with my colleagues in both chambers to get it signed into law."

Congressmen Ruppersberger and Hudson have been staunch advocates for allowing veterans with service-connected disabilities to choose care from private providers in their local communities and having the VA pay for it.

This bill would seek to do that by making the pilot Veterans Choice Card program enacted by the bipartisan Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 permanent while expanding eligibility to veterans with a 50 percent service-connected disability rating or higher. Congressman Ruppersberger pledged to continue consulting with the Baltimore Regional Office and VA headquarters to improving the program as the legislation moves through the process.

The bill aims to further address the continued backlog of VA appointments across the country by:

Allowing visits to walk-in clinics without prior authorization or copayments by veterans;

Extending VA pharmacy hours to nights and weekends;

Opening VA hospitals to volunteer community providers interested in working with veterans during their off-hours;

Expanding the use of telemedicine at the VA.

The VA says it has reduced the claims backlog at the Baltimore Regional Office -- once among the worst in the country -- by 95 percent. An average wait time of 459 days now stands at 111.6 days.

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