S219Referred to Committee

Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both

Signed into Law

119th

Congress

2025-01-23

Introduced

Cosponsors

ⓘ

Type

Sponsor

Marsha Blackburn

Republican · TN · Senator

Votes with party: 74.8% (813 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/B001243

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (8)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

2025-05-21

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Previously

Veterans' Affairs CommitteeHearings By (full committee) · 2025-05-21
Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsHearings By (full committee) · 2025-05-21
Veterans' Affairs CommitteeReferred To · 2025-01-23
Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsReferred To · 2025-01-23

Plain-English Summary

Veterans Health Care Freedom Act This bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement. A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system. The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Armed Forces and National Security

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Open text view Read on Congress.gov

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