This bill prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs from lowering payment rates for special transportation services that veterans use to access medical care, while still allowing rate increases. The legislation freezes special transportation reimbursement rates at their January 1, 2023 levels and prohibits the VA Secretary from reducing them after the bill's enactment. If the VA needs to decrease rates in the future, it must first conduct a thorough economic analysis, consult with industry experts and veterans organizations, confirm the new rate covers actual transportation costs, and develop a formal process to protect or expand veteran access to care. Veterans and transportation providers are the primary groups affected by this protection. The bill does not authorize specific funding amounts or establish new spending programs, but rather serves as a restriction on the VA's ability to cut transportation reimbursement rates.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.