S 219 ยท Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.
- Introduced
- Jan 23, 2025
- Latest action
- May 21, 2025
- Sponsor
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn [R-TN]
- Policy area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Cosponsors
- 8
Summary
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act This bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement. A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system. The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.
Recent actions
- May 21, 2025 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.
- Jan 23, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Jan 23, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Votes
No recorded votes are available for this bill.