Austin News

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Jerry Moran (R-KS), alongside 18 other Senate GOP colleagues, have sent a letter urging U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to address policy initiatives that they argue are making it more difficult for veterans to receive care, including oncology, emergency, and mental health services.

In 2018, Congress passed the MISSION Act to expand veterans' access to community healthcare providers. However, recent actions by VA leaders appear to limit these opportunities. The senators expressed concern over recommendations from a panel known as the "Red Team," which suggested reducing community care referrals as a cost-saving measure.

“Among the Red Team’s recommendations are suggestions that VA save money by reducing community care referrals for veterans seeking emergency, oncology, and mental health care. Veterans in need of these services are among the most vulnerable and high-risk. It is unconscionable that VA would consider leaving them with fewer options to seek needed care,” the senators wrote.

They further stated, “Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission.” They emphasized that if funding is insufficient, resources should be reprioritized from non-patient care areas rather than implementing measures that reduce veteran choice and potentially endanger lives.

The letter was signed by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Thune (R-SD), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Boozman (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Ted Budd (R-NC).

The full text of their letter highlighted past issues with access to care within the VA system and praised the improvements seen since the enactment of the MISSION Act. However, they warned that recent strategic shifts could jeopardize these gains.

In January, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health at VA, commissioned a panel to assess trends in community care spending. The panel's recommendations included reducing referrals for certain types of care. The senators cited cases where veterans had their community care authorizations revoked under circumstances they found troubling.

“We are also hearing from a number of veterans who had been receiving non-narcotic pain relief treatments outside of VA medical facilities who are now having their community care authorizations revoked,” they noted.

Additionally, concerns were raised about burdensome processes implemented at VA medical centers aimed at scrutinizing community care referrals more closely.

The letter concluded by urging Secretary McDonough to act promptly against these recommendations and reaffirm veterans' right to seek community care as intended by the MISSION Act.

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