On June 11, the Senate approved, 93-3, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act (H.R. 3230).
Drafted in response to recent reports that health care providers at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) centers had falsified records of appointment wait times, the measure would authorize “such sums as may be necessary” through FY2016 to improve the VA’s provision of health care services to veterans.
Among other provisions, the bill would expand the VA’s sexual assault counseling services to active duty service members, reservists, and members of the National Guard. Individuals no longer would need a referral from the Department of Defense (DoD) to receive services at VA centers. In addition, the VA would be required to inform service members and veterans about the availability of its sexual assault counseling services.
The VA would be required to report to Congress on the availability of military sexual trauma (MST) services. Included in the report would be a comparison between the services available to male and female veterans who experienced MST.
The legislation also would require the VA to report to Congress on the processes and procedures used by DoD and the VA to transition individuals who experienced MST from DoD’s treatment to the VA’s treatment. In addition, the report would describe the collaboration between the departments in assisting veterans in filing MST disability claims.
