I am really troubled by what I am hearing today and by some of the news reports that I will get into in a little bit here.

Is the standard of care at the VA the same standard of care that you should receive or a patient should receive at a non-VA hospital?

There are plans for a House companion bill to S. 1611 to be introduced in the near future by Representative Bruce Poliquin.

Thank you all very much for being here and being a service to our country. We very much appreciate it.

we are very concerned that we continue to make sure in the rural part of our country--where about 40 percent of our population lives, roughly--have access to the health care they have earned and they so deserve.

the Choice Act or the Choice Program or Choice 2.0... is in no way intended to replace the VA; it is just not.

I don't mind making house calls and I will continue to do it to put pressure wherever it needs to be to get our hospitals paid.

How can we make sure this is not a continuing problem, Mr. Secretary?

When is that going to happen?

So, it is going to get better. It is going to get faster. Members are--house calls, right?

can you assure me now and everybody else on this Committee that this new Choice Program going forward is going to be able to fix this bill-paying problem?