Wichita Standard

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has joined Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in introducing legislation aimed at requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to consider continuity of health care when determining if a veteran should see a provider in the community.

Currently, VA must consider several criteria to decide if it is in a veteran’s best medical interest to seek care outside of a VA medical facility. The proposed Ensuring Continuity in Veterans’ Health Act would add continuity of care to these criteria, facilitating veterans' continued treatment with their community care providers.

“I am hearing from more and more veterans in Kansas and across the country who are finding it harder to receive the care they are entitled to from VA and who are being cut off from their community providers,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation would help veterans maintain care with the doctors and nurses they have come to trust by requiring VA to take continuity of care into account when evaluating veterans for community care referrals. I am thankful to my colleague, Sen. Rubio, for introducing this legislation and for his support of our nation’s veterans.”

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for this country and often have PTSD or other mental health issues as a result,” said Sen. Rubio. “Addressing mental health issues takes trust and time. The Ensuring Continuity in Veterans’ Health Act will ensure our veterans can continue receiving care from their long-term providers that they have established a trusted relationship with.”

The bill is also cosponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).

Sen. Moran recently ensured that a veteran from Manhattan, Kansas, who had been receiving cancer treatment within the community was allowed to continue his treatment locally rather than travel an hour each way to Topeka VA Medical Center for his final two treatments.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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