Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act
Sens. Duckworth and Blackburn Push Bill to Expand Healthcare Access for Rural Veterans
A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, and for other purposes.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Roughly 4.7 million veterans live in rural areas and often face long drives to reach a VA medical center. This bill would bring healthcare services closer to where they live through partnerships with local rural clinics, potentially including telehealth visits, emergency transportation, and coordinated care. Over time, this could meaningfully reduce travel burdens and improve health outcomes for rural veterans.
“The purpose of any partnership entered into under paragraph (1) shall be to provide greater access to care for veterans in rural areas and to reduce costs to all entities within the partnership.”
Programs
Milestones
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articlesDuckworth Presses VA Secretary on Haphazard Restructuring Plan Amidst Trump-Induced Staffing Shortage at the VA
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured a commitment from VA Secretary Doug Collins to work on the Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act. The bill, co-led by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), requires the VA to establish partnerships with rural medical facilities to expand care access.
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Gears Up for Major Legislative Push Amid Star Act Fallout
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is set to consider S. 3033, the Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act, as part of an ambitious legislative push. The bill aims to enhance healthcare access for rural veterans through partnerships between VA and local medical facilities.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, and for other purposes.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.