Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, yesterday introduced legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, that would continue the Veterans Choice Program and ensure that veterans are able to use the Veterans Choice Card to access quality health care in their communities.

The Veterans Choice Program that was created by the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act is set to expire three years after the law’s enactment on August 7, 2017. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has indicated to the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees that potentially $1 billion of the original allocated funding for the program could still be available on this date. The Veterans Choice Continuation Act would remove this statutory sunset date and instead allow the program to continue until the original funding has been expended. This would help ensure that veterans using the Choice Card could continue to visit doctors under this authority in their communities past August.

“The Veterans Choice Program has provided hundreds of thousands of veterans who live far from a VA facility or can’t get a timely appointment the flexibility to visit a qualified health care provider in their community,” said Senator McCain. “Millions of appointments have been made using the Choice Card, and more than 450,000 health care professionals provide care through the Veterans Choice Program, representing a three-fold increase in the number of providers treating our nation’s veterans.

“It simply makes no sense to let the Veterans Choice Program expire when more than $1 billion in allocated funding could still be available for this program in August. I’m gratified that Chairman Roe has joined this effort to ensure the VA continues to fund the Veterans Choice Program past its sunset date with the original funding allocated by Congress. We cannot afford to send our veterans back to the pre-scandal days of unending wait-times for appointments and poor care at the VA. I look forward to advancing this legislation and continuing the fight to make the Veterans Choice Program permanent and available to all veterans in need of care.”

“By eliminating the sunset date of the Choice Act, Congress is ensuring veterans have certainty and continuity of care while we work with the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan that addresses the need for a veteran-centric, coordinated network of care that utilizes the strengths of both VA and community health providers. I am glad to partner with Senator McCain in this important effort,” said Chairman Roe. 

The legislation is here.

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