Political Quotes

“Again I would like to thank Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for their work on this bill and their cooperation on this amendment. I rise today to offer a straightforward amendment that will improve our understanding of the causes of delays within the Veterans Choice Program. The Veterans Choice Program was implemented to address delays in patient care at the Veterans Administration. However, as of April of this year, data from the VA showed that the number of veterans waiting more than 30 days for an appointment was actually higher than when the Veterans Choice Program was initiated. The well-intentioned and necessary program was initiated and acknowledged. The fact is the Veterans Choice Program was cobbled together very quickly given the time constraints. This led to excessive privatization and contracting through third parties, which has contributed to frequent delays, and we are seeing these delays even today. In my district alone, I have spoken with numerous veterans who live a great distance from VA medical facilities, such as the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. My constituents rely heavily on accessibility to non-VA doctors the Veterans Choice is intended to provide. Further, an oft cited problem with Veterans Choice is the lack of clear communications regarding the eligibility requirements of the program to both veterans and non-VA providers.…”