Big Sky Times

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) joined 19 other senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough asking that the department correct recent policy initiatives that are making access to care more difficult for veterans. 

The letter asks the VA to cease recent changes that appear to be in compliance with recommendations made by the Red Team, a panel commissioned in January by Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, to “assess the trends and drivers of increasing community care spending” in the department. 

The Red Team came to the conclusion that community care, which is a referral process to expand potential services and care to veterans, was “a potential existential threat” to VA’s direct care system, however the senators’ letter argues community care is a “vital lifeline” for veterans and the VA. 

The community care system was created in 2018 with the enactment of the MISSION Act, which expanded VA care options to allow veterans to seek care that was available to them within their community from local providers as well as VA care. “For countless veterans, the convenience, accessibility, and control that community care offers is life-saving,” the senators wrote in the letter. “In the years since the MISSION Act was enacted, the VA healthcare system has seen significant increases in enrollment, utilization, and reliance, as well as improvements in key measures of quality and veteran trust.”

Despite the VA claiming the recommendations from the Red Team are still under review, reports from department personnel and veterans have shown a trend towards cutting community care referrals and other services like non-narcotic pain relief treatment programs. Veterans and VA staff have said they cannot continue with community care offerings “because of alleged budget shortfalls,” even though the VA “did not request additional funding” for the second year in a row.

“Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission,” the letter said. “We ask that you act without delay to refute the Red Team’s recommendations and issue guidance and retraining materials to all VA staff reaffirming veterans’ right to seek community care. Our nation’s veterans are waiting.”

The letter was also signed by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) along with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.).