Chairman Bost Leads Bill to Protect Veterans’ Community Care Access

Chairman Bost Leads Bill to Protect Veterans' Community Care Access

Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), introduced the Complete the Mission Act of 2024, comprehensive legislation which would safeguard veterans' Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based healthcare access by codifying current access standards and would require VA to publish their wait times for all VA medical centers, setting a baseline expectation for timeliness of care.

"The MISSION Act transformed the delivery of healthcare to veterans across the nation, especially in rural and remote areas of the country. But under the Biden-Harris administration we have seen VA bureaucrats standing in the way of veterans' community care access. That is unacceptable. Following the MISSION Act standards is not optional - it is the law," said Chairman Bost. "My bill would rightfully make permanent the current access standards, would require VA to publish their wait times for all VA medical centers, and would establish a defined screening process for veterans in need of substance abuse treatment without the hassle and wait. Every veteran has earned timely options for quality healthcare to meet their needs - no bureaucrat is allowed to stand in the way of that."

Since the start of the 118th Congress, the Committee has sent numerous oversight letters on VA community care access, including oversight hearings on substance abuse treatment access and care coordination, in addition to trips across the country to meet with veterans and VA providers to hear where the MISSION Act is not being implemented properly. VA officials appointed by the Biden-Harris administration are on the record trying to pull care back into VA which would diminish veterans' health care choices. The Complete the Mission Act of 2024 is a result of that work to hold VA accountable to implement the MISSION Act access standards and put veterans - not VA bureaucracy - at the center of VA's healthcare system.

To learn more about the Complete the Mission Act of 2024, click here. Bill text can be found here.

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