House bill would streamline veteran healthcare in Nevada

WASHINGTON — A bill to improve access to health care and streamline payment for medical services to veterans, particularly those in rural states like Nevada, was filed Thursday by Rep. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C.

The bill would improve the Veterans Choice Program, established in 2014 to cut down wait times at veterans facilities and allow vets to receive medical care from a community provider if they live more than 40 miles from federal facility.

The Rosen-Jones bill would require appointments through the Choice Program within five days, force the Department of Veterans Affairs to hold private contractors accountable for care they provide and require the VA to pay or deny payment within 30 days of electronic billing.

“In Nevada and across the nation, our veterans are experiencing delays and difficulty in receiving quality health care they deserve,” Rosen said. “It’s shameful that we would fail to pay for care for our veterans in a timely manner.”

Jones said there “is no doubt that our veterans deserve far better treatment than what they have been receiving.”

There are 226,555 veterans in Nevada, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7390. Contact @garymartindc on Twitter.