Jerry Moran: “10 years ago, a wait-time scandal at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ, led to a nationwide access and accountability…”

“10 years ago, a wait-time scandal at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ, led to a nationwide access and accountability crisis for the VA healthcare system. Many of us responded to that, worked to find a solution, and we ultimately passed something called the Choice Act. Subsequent to that, we made improvements in what we learned from the Choice Act's implementation and usage by veterans and its consequences to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and we enacted the MISSION Act, which was signed into law 6 years ago this month. The MISSION Act expanded the ability for veterans to seek care in their communities and made VA healthcare more accessible, convenient, and veteran-centric than ever before. The MISSION Act has also contributed to significant increases in enrollment of veterans, utilization and reliance on VA care, and improvements in quality and trust among veterans. For veterans--particularly those in rural States like yours and mine--the ability to get care closer to home can be life-changing and lifesaving. Unfortunately, recently, VA leaders have been taking alarming actions to limit the choices that the MISSION Act affords veterans in Kansas and across the country. It is unfathomable that the VA would consider leaving veterans with fewer options--fewer options--to seek the care they need.…”