WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – today released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced its proposed access standards for community care and urgent care provisions that will take effect in June under the VA MISSION Act:

“The bipartisan VA MISSION Act is the most transformative VA reform legislation in 30 years, authorizing the VA to establish a community care program that expands access to care that veterans deserve, and reducing the bureaucratic struggles they face when trying to access timely healthcare. The proposed access standards released today by the VA do not limit access to care to a handful of certain services, nor are they based on arbitrary guidelines; rather, they rely on existing healthcare system models that use known data focused on drive time and wait time, as well as varying standards practiced in the community according to Medicaid and Medicare.

“I am encouraged by the VA’s efforts to fully examine access standards across the health care spectrum utilized in our states, particularly assessing urban and rural geographic challenges faced by veteran patients. The VA’s proposal takes a sensible approach to follow through with the VA MISSION Act mandate, which will create a program that puts veterans first and increases access to care they deserve.” 
 

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