Helping rural veterans get the services they need

Veterans should not have to worry about transportation to their health care appointments, but too often any sort of travel is a real burden, especially for veterans in rural communities.

This Veteran's Day weekend, I'm proud to share our progress on a bipartisan bill that – if passed – will give veterans access to much-needed health care, regardless of where they live. Specifically, the act will expand existing pilot programs that:

• reimburse veterans and eligible beneficiaries for travel costs to Vet Centers for mental health care and counseling;
• allow local VA facilities to purchase vehicles and hire drivers to transport veterans to and from their appointments;
• allow Veterans Service Organizations and state Veterans Service Agencies to explore new approaches to provide transportation or travel assistance for rural veterans; and
• expedite medical screenings for volunteer drivers serving veterans through VTS.

This initiative will ease the burden for veterans traveling lengthy distances for care and reduce the number of missed medical appointments at Veteran's Affairs medical facilities, saving taxpayer dollars.

Rick