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Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
6/11/2025, 11:03 AM
Summary of Bill S 219
The goal of the pilot program is to enhance veterans' ability to access timely and quality medical care by giving them more control over their healthcare options. By allowing veterans to choose their providers, the bill seeks to increase competition and improve the overall quality of care available to veterans.
The Veterans Access to Care Act is designed to address the challenges that many veterans face in accessing medical care, particularly in rural or underserved areas where VA facilities may be limited. By expanding veterans' options for healthcare providers, the bill aims to ensure that all veterans receive the care they need in a timely manner. Overall, Bill 119 s 219 is a bipartisan effort to improve the healthcare options available to veterans and enhance their overall access to medical care. The pilot program established by this bill will provide valuable data and insights that can inform future efforts to improve the VA healthcare system for all veterans.
Congressional Summary of S 219
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
This bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement.
A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system.
The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.
