Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced legislation today that would ensure Wyoming veterans’ access to mental healthcare in their local communities.
“Providing for those who’ve defended our nation is the VA’s core purpose,” said Lummis. “This means Wyoming’s courageous veterans deserve top-tier healthcare services regardless of their geographic location. I remain committed to ensuring veterans throughout our state can access the medical care they’ve earned in their local communities.”
“Our nation’s veterans have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and the last thing they should have to worry about is mismanagement and delays at the VA. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this bill to strengthen the availability of community based mental health programs and ensure that our veterans have access to the care and resources that they deserve,” said Daines.
“No veteran should face unnecessary delays in accessing mental health care,” said Tim Sheppard, Executive Director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission. “This bill guarantees that those who served are prioritized, not left waiting.”
Background:
The Protecting Veteran Community Care Act strengthens the existing community care program, limits the VA’s ability to restrict access to care in the community, and requires the VA to track relevant community care data and provide those statistics to Congress.
Specifically, this legislation would:
- Amend the MISSION Act to specifically include inpatient mental health standards.
- Add clarity to veteran eligibility for care in the community.
- Require the VA to track and present to Congress data on how veterans are requesting and using community care, along with what services community care funds are paying for.
- Require passage of a Joint Resolution in both chambers of Congress to modify community care eligibility.
The 2018 VA MISSION Act was a landmark piece of legislation that overhauled the VA Choice Program to provide veterans with improved access to healthcare. Unfortunately, the VA has failed to live up to its obligation to provide timely care. Veterans are still facing unacceptably long waiting periods and frequently rescheduled appointments. The VA continues to fall short on the complete and proper implementation of the MISSION Act. This has resulted in the need for Congress to strengthen existing authorities to ensure that the VA isn’t restricting care in the community for veterans who need it most.
###