I get John McCain's e-mail updates even though I'm not really a fan of his in his role as Senator. Anyway, the below was in his last update and it concerns the Choice card. btw I reached out to his office once and he passed the buck to the Inspector Generals office, but that's another story.
~John McCain's Update
This month, I hosted an open town hall meeting for Arizona veterans with Phoenix radio host Mike Broomhead at the Burton Barr Central Library. The event followed the town hall I hosted on May 9, 2014, immediately following the revelations of veterans dying of gross mismanagement and neglect at the Phoenix VA in which Arizonans shared stories about experiencing endless wait times and receiving poor care. While it has been more than a year since the President signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act -- a bill I am proud to have sponsored that begins to address the scandal of denied and delayed care of our nation's veterans -- I was deeply concerned by the stories I heard from veterans last week, who are still having serious problems getting the care they have earned and deserve.
(Credit: Link Removed)
Among the most common problem that veterans are experiencing is accessing the Choice Card -- a hallmark of the VA reform bill -- that enables veterans experiencing unreasonable wait times or who live more than 40 miles from a VA health care facility to go outside the VA to see a doctor of their choice. Unfortunately, I heard from many eligible veterans who are having trouble receiving the VA Choice Card, and others who are being forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops just to use it.
It is simply unacceptable that more than a year after VA reform legislation was enacted, the VA refuses to fully implement the Choice Card program. It has failed to adequately distribute and educate qualified veterans about the Choice Card, restricted some veterans' eligibility to receive it, and tried to move critical funds away from the program altogether. Our veterans deserve to have greater choice in their care, not more of the same bureaucratic hold-ups.
It is my top priority to ensure that our veterans get the flexible health care they want and need. That’s why this month I introduced the Link Removed, legislation that would make permanent the three-year pilot program for the Choice Card, and make all veterans -- regardless of where they live -- eligible to receive it so they can use it to see a doctor of their choice. This would help remove uncertainty from within the VA, among providers, and especially among our veterans, while sending a strong signal to all Americans that this program is here to stay.
More than a year after the VA scandal first came to light and a year since VA reform legislation was signed into law, wait times are still too long and veterans are still not getting the care they need. It's past time for the VA to change the culture of corruption that has led to crisis in care and finally deliver veterans the quality health care they have earned and deserved. I also continue to monitor the VA's implementation of the Dead Link Removed, which I was proud to sponsor that is an important step forward in ending the tragic statistic of 8,000 veterans committing suicide each year.
If you are a veteran encountering problems receiving care or if you know a veteran who is having similar difficulty, please reach out to my Phoenix office at Link Removed or Link Removed.
~John McCain's Update
This month, I hosted an open town hall meeting for Arizona veterans with Phoenix radio host Mike Broomhead at the Burton Barr Central Library. The event followed the town hall I hosted on May 9, 2014, immediately following the revelations of veterans dying of gross mismanagement and neglect at the Phoenix VA in which Arizonans shared stories about experiencing endless wait times and receiving poor care. While it has been more than a year since the President signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act -- a bill I am proud to have sponsored that begins to address the scandal of denied and delayed care of our nation's veterans -- I was deeply concerned by the stories I heard from veterans last week, who are still having serious problems getting the care they have earned and deserve.
(Credit: Link Removed)
Among the most common problem that veterans are experiencing is accessing the Choice Card -- a hallmark of the VA reform bill -- that enables veterans experiencing unreasonable wait times or who live more than 40 miles from a VA health care facility to go outside the VA to see a doctor of their choice. Unfortunately, I heard from many eligible veterans who are having trouble receiving the VA Choice Card, and others who are being forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops just to use it.
It is simply unacceptable that more than a year after VA reform legislation was enacted, the VA refuses to fully implement the Choice Card program. It has failed to adequately distribute and educate qualified veterans about the Choice Card, restricted some veterans' eligibility to receive it, and tried to move critical funds away from the program altogether. Our veterans deserve to have greater choice in their care, not more of the same bureaucratic hold-ups.
It is my top priority to ensure that our veterans get the flexible health care they want and need. That’s why this month I introduced the Link Removed, legislation that would make permanent the three-year pilot program for the Choice Card, and make all veterans -- regardless of where they live -- eligible to receive it so they can use it to see a doctor of their choice. This would help remove uncertainty from within the VA, among providers, and especially among our veterans, while sending a strong signal to all Americans that this program is here to stay.
More than a year after the VA scandal first came to light and a year since VA reform legislation was signed into law, wait times are still too long and veterans are still not getting the care they need. It's past time for the VA to change the culture of corruption that has led to crisis in care and finally deliver veterans the quality health care they have earned and deserved. I also continue to monitor the VA's implementation of the Dead Link Removed, which I was proud to sponsor that is an important step forward in ending the tragic statistic of 8,000 veterans committing suicide each year.
If you are a veteran encountering problems receiving care or if you know a veteran who is having similar difficulty, please reach out to my Phoenix office at Link Removed or Link Removed.
