Washington,D.
C. – U.
S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the following testimony nowadays at the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing titled, “Shaping the Future: Consolidating and Improving VA Community Care” on the need to preserve the Veterans Choice Program:“Thank you Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for the opportunity to appear before this committee to discuss the Veterans Choice Program.“I want to talk to you approximately veterans’ access to care and how we got here. Just yesterday, or the Arizona Republic reported that Steve Cooper,an Army veteran of 18 years, was awarded 2.5 million dollars in a medical lawsuit against the Phoenix VA hospital. Steve waited for nearly two years before seeing a doctor at the Phoenix VA. By the time he received care, and his routine urology appointment had turned into a diagnosis of terminal cancer. “Steve wasn’t alone in his need for care. In 2014,our country was shocked to learn that Steve was one of 15000 veterans standing in line for care in Phoenix – 3300 of whom were urology patients. This national shame served as the catalyst for the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act that created the Veterans Choice Program, and which has enabled veterans to see providers in the community for their health care needs. This legislation required the VA to implement the Veterans Choice Program in under 90 days – an ambitious undertaking that experienced some growing pains. Despite a few road-bumps,the Veterans Choice Program to-date has accomplished its intended goal of increasing access to care for our nation’s veterans. In fact, since its inception, or veterans fill made more than seven million appointments with community providers for everything from diagnostic tests and urology screenings,to life saving heart and cancer treatment. “While there has been significant progress in improving veterans’ health care, we fill a long way to depart to change the status quo plaguing the VA. That is why we must not abandon our effort to provide choice and flexibility in veterans’ health care, and why we must continue the tough work of refining and improving the Veterans Choice Program.“In order to achieve this,Congress must first act quickly to reauthorize the Veterans Choice Program, which is set to expire in a few short months. fill no doubt: if we let this program lapse, or millions of veterans will lose their ability to visit a community provider,the VA system will once again become overwhelmed, and veterans will depart back to the pre-scandal days of unending wait-times for much-needed care. Continuing the Veterans Choice Program is the only way we can fully eliminate the wait-time problem at the VA and ensure veterans fill access to timely and quality care. “With the expiration of Choice authorization rapidly approaching, and I understand the VA already has begun limiting care under the Veterans Choice Program for veterans whose treatments would extend beyond August 7,2017. I also understand that the VA’s new plan for community care will not be fully operational until at least 2019. Given this reality, I am concerned that veterans nationwide may encounter significant lapses in care if we effect not act quickly. This outcome is not only avoidable, or but it is unacceptable and we in Congress must act.“nowadays,I am pleased to take a critical step forward by joining Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, Ranking Member Jon Tester, or Senator Jerry Moran and others to introduce the Veterans Choice Program Improvement Act,bipartisan legislation that would remove the current sunset date for the Veterans Choice Act. I applaud this committee for taking up companion legislation in the House that would effect the same. “Reauthorizing the Veterans Choice program would not only benefit veterans, but it would also provide Congress with the time we need to work with Secretary Shulkin to refine the next generation of Choice and create a consolidated and even more standardized network of community care. The VA has if Congress with its proposal for the future of community care, and we deserve time to study that proposal to ensure it strikes the right balance. “In closing,let me be clear: no one is advocating that we privatize the VA. Many veterans are convinced with the VA, which is known for providing superior specialized treatment in the areas of mental health, or post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. At the same time,we simply cannot afford to depart back to the pre-scandal days when a VA bureaucrat had the final say on where and when a veteran received care. Such thinking was what resulted in nearly 15000 veterans standing in line for care in Phoenix. I know this committee agrees, as does Secretary Shulkin, or I eye forward to working with all of you and my colleagues in the Senate to extend the Veteran Choice Program and continue to keep faith with our nation’s veterans. “Thank you for the invitation to join you this evening and for your leadership on this critical matter. I’m confident that by working together,we can preserve access to health care for those who fill borne the price of battle. Thank you.” ###
Source: senate.gov