Press Release: Veteran Action Supports the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
Veteran Action endorses the Take Care of America's Veterans Act, comprehensive legislation introduced by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost. The legislation saves veteran lives and protects the rights they have earned.
"We wholeheartedly support the Take Care of America's Veterans Act," said Mark Lucas, Founder & President of Veteran Action. "This bill includes our top legislative priority: the Veterans' ACCESS Act, which expands health care access and holds the VA accountable."
The Take Care of America's Veterans Act builds upon President Trump's historic veteran legislative accomplishments of his first term: the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 and the VA MISSION Act of 2018.
The MISSION Act set up the policy and operational framework for veteran health care choice. The Take Care of America's Veterans Act mandates the full operational implementation of the MISSION Act. It betters the lives of the 9 million veterans who use the VA health care system, delivers real choice, and neutralizes the bureaucrats who have been denying veterans access to community care.
The bill codifies access standards for VA health care: 20 days or a 30-minute drive time for primary and mental health care, and 28 days or a 60-minute drive time for specialty care. It requires the VA to notify veterans within five days of their eligibility for community care, preventing schedulers from canceling an appointment and restarting the clock on wait times.
The bill also requires the VA to bring its systems into the 21st century, allowing veterans to make and track appointments, track referrals and medical claims, and appeal community care denials.
A Veteran Action/Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,516 military likely voters shows veteran health care commands overwhelming bipartisan support. Ninety percent support giving veterans the choice to use VA health care benefits at providers outside the VA system. Seventy-five percent say they are more likely to support a congressional candidate who backs the Veterans' ACCESS Act — the centerpiece of this bill.