Veteran Access to Neurosurgery Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a five-year test program to help veterans get brain and spine surgeries closer to home. It allows the VA to pay private neurosurgeons higher, market-based rates if the standard government pay is not enough to cover the high cost of these specialized procedures.
• The program focuses on veterans living in rural areas who currently have to wait more than 60 days for surgery or travel more than 100 miles to find a specialist. It will start in at least two regions of the country that have large numbers of rural veterans.
• To receive the higher pay, a doctor must prove that the normal VA rates are too low to cover their costs and show that there are no other VA-approved surgeons available nearby. This is intended to encourage more top-tier specialists to accept veteran patients.
• The VA Inspector General will review the program every year to prevent waste and make sure veterans are actually getting better care. The VA must also report to Congress on how many patients were helped, the types of surgeries performed, and the total cost to taxpayers.

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