Expanding Veterans’ Emergency Care Coverage

No veteran should ever be kept up at night wondering how they will pay their medical bills after receiving emergency care in the community. But thanks to a loophole in the VA’s coverage policies, that’s exactly what’s happening in Eastern Washington.

Under current law, a veteran must have received health services at a VA facility within the last 24 months in order to be covered under Care in the Community. This protocol completely fails to account for the reality that bureaucracy and inefficiencies at the VA make getting an appointment difficult, creating a dangerous gap in coverage. 

This gap must be closed. That’s why I reintroduced the bipartisan RELIEVE ACT yesterday to fix this broken policy and expand emergency coverage under Care in the Community for veterans during the first 60 days that they are enrolled in the VA. IN other words, our bill will bridge the gap until a veteran is able to see a VA provider to establish care and permanently close the loophole.

We nearly got this bill signed into law  last Congress, so I’m hopeful we can build on that momentum, finally get it across the finish line, and ensure veterans have access to the best health care our country has to offer.

CLICK HERE to read the bill.