S. 219 · 119th Congress
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
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R
BlackburnSponsor8 cosponsors · 8 R
6 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
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.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jan 23, 2025
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.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
Latest action (May 21, 2025): Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jan 23, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.