Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill writes specific wait-time and drive-time standards into federal law. Veterans needing primary care or mental health services can see a private doctor if the VA can't offer an appointment within 20 days or a 30-minute drive. For specialty care, the limits are 28 days and 60 minutes of driving.
• The VA must notify veterans within two business days that they qualify for private care, and if a request is denied, the VA must explain why and provide instructions on how to appeal — also within two business days.
• Veterans in mental health crisis must be screened within 48 hours. If the VA cannot admit a high-priority veteran to a residential treatment bed within 48 hours, the veteran must be offered placement at a qualified private facility instead.
• A pilot program at five or more locations would let enrolled veterans access outpatient mental health and substance use services from private providers without needing a referral or pre-authorization, prioritizing areas with high veteran suicide and overdose rates.
• Private doctors and clinics that treat veterans through community care would have one full year instead of 180 days to submit billing claims, aiming to reduce paperwork burdens and encourage more providers to participate in the program.
• An online self-service portal would be developed so veterans can request appointments, track referrals, receive reminders, and file appeals digitally — replacing phone-based processes with a more transparent system.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.