Political Quotes

“I thank Chairman Takano for yielding. I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 7277, the Improving Oversight of Veterans Community Care Providers Act. This legislation will help ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs does a better job overseeing its Community Care Program, which many veterans in my State of New Hampshire and all across the country rely on to access high-quality care in their communities. When veterans visit a community healthcare provider, they should be assured, at a minimum, that the provider has a medical license and is eligible to do business with the Federal Government. Unfortunately, as a December 2021 GAO report detailed, this has not always been the case. GAO identified approximately 1,600 community care providers who were deceased, ineligible to work with the Federal Government, or who had revoked or suspended medical licenses at the time of the review. That is 1,600 physicians and other healthcare providers who failed to meet some of the program's most basic requirements. This poses a potential threat to veteran health and well-being, and risks wasting tax dollars on inappropriate medical charges. My legislation will strengthen oversight of these community care providers. Now, to VA's credit, the Department has updated several data systems to improve the credentialing process and to continuously monitor the eligibility of providers.…”