House panel advances bill allowing veterans to see more private health providers

A House panel has advanced legislation to allow more veterans to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system.

The bill, the VA MISSION Act, passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee 20-2. It would allow more veterans to go outside the VA healthcare system and use private-sector doctors when VA medical centers can't provide appointments within a month, when veterans have to drive more than 40 minutes to access care, or when care is determined inadequate by VA leaders.

The bill's lead author, Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., said on Twitter that the bill offers a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform VA."

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