Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) on Tuesday introduced the Full Choice for Veterans Act.
This legislation would allow every veteran the option of receiving care from doctors, specialists and hospitals in their local community instead of forcing them to stay in the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) own government-run healthcare system.
In a statement, Byrne said, “Our veterans deserve the best medical care available and should never forego treatment because of bureaucratic roadblocks.”
“My legislation will free all our veterans from VA regulations that lock them into a dysfunctional system, allowing them to seek care when and where they need it. Additionally, the efficiencies from cutting down the bloated VA bureaucracy will save taxpayer money,” he advised.
The bill, H.R. 5033, would amend the Community Care Program which limits conditions under which veterans are eligible to use the program. The bill will empower all veterans to make the personal choices they need, allowing them to receive access to timely, quality medical care.
The Community Care Program was created in 2018 to expand the conditions under which veterans can seek medical care in their local communities. However, the subjective nature of the conditions to use the Community Care Program leaves it up to the VA to decide which veterans are able to use private medical care.
As emphasized in his legislation, Byrne believes every veteran should have the choice to seek care in their respective community rather than the choice being made for them by the VA bureaucracy.
Byrne concluded, “With President Trump’s leadership, we’ve made great progress at the VA, but much more work remains. I pledge to continue working to serve our veterans who have given us so much.”
The introduction of the legislation came the day following Veterans Day, on which Byrne’s U.S. Senate campaign unveiled a “Veterans for Byrne” coalition.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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