Rep. Jenkins Secures Better Access to Care for Rural Veterans

Press Release

U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) helped secure improvements to access to care for rural veterans and the Choice Card program in the upcoming year's veterans appropriations bill.

The House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2017 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which now goes to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. This bill increases veterans' medical services funding by $2.5 billion, a 5 percent increase from the current year.

"In the past year, I have heard from numerous veterans and veterans' groups in West Virginia about their experiences with VA wait times and the Choice Card program. Through my role on the House Appropriations Committee, I was able to secure a number of provisions that require the VA to look at delivery of care to rural veterans and a study that will specifically investigate the care provided by the Choice Card.

"The bill also addresses access to care for our rural veterans at our Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. Many veterans were left without answers when the Greenbrier CBOC abruptly closed, and I helped put into place provisions to ensure that will not happen again. Moving forward, the VA will have to release specific details and plans should a decision be made to move or close a CBOC, ensuring veterans will not be without access to care. Our veterans have served our country honorably and selflessly, and we must keep our promises to them," Rep. Jenkins said.

The bill includes three provisions specifically requested by Rep. Jenkins. The first would require the VA to notify the community and the state's congressional delegation 30 days before closing a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. The notification would identify alternative facilities for care, travel information, and types of care available at the alternative facilities.

The second would require the VA to provide more scrutiny of its Choice Card program, rural care, and quality of care issues. The VA would be required to report to the committee its plan of action to address Choice Card deficiencies in access to primary and specialty care in rural areas. The Government Accountability Office would also be required to report on the levels of care between in-house VA treatment and the Choice Card program, where veterans use outside doctors for care reimbursed by the VA.

The third would require the VA to report to the committee its plan of action to address deficiencies in primary and specialty access to care in rural areas.

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