Grand Forks Harold - Distance, Access to Records Hinder Medical Care, Say Veterans, Congressman

News Article

By Kevin Bonham

Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., vowed Monday to work toward making the proposed 40-mile rule -- legislation intended to ease long waiting lists for veterans seeking medical care in some parts of the country -- relevant to North Dakotans.

Both houses of Congress passed similar bills last week in the aftermath of a national uproar over scheduling backlogs and other problems facing the Veterans Affairs department.

The 40-mile rule establishes a two-year program to allow veterans living more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility to see the doctor of their choice. The Senate version calls for building 26 new VA medical facilities around the country.

"The spotlight's on the VA right now, but it's broader than that," Cramer told members of his Veterans Advisory Board in a meeting in Devils Lake. "This is our moment. We have to pounce on it and make sure that we're addressing the very real issues facing veterans and their health care."

The board includes representatives of state military and veterans offices and organizations, as well as retired Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha, a Minot resident and Medal of Honor recipient who was injured during a 2009 firefight in Afghanistan, and Russell "Rusty" Ouart, Fargo, an Iraqi War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was injured in 2008.

"One of my early frustrations has been the distance issue," Cramer told members of his Veterans Advisory Board here. "Forty miles is nothing in North Dakota. We've got veterans that have to travel more than 300 miles to get to the VA hospital in Fargo."

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