ACT NOW!
Help Veteran’s, deserving of the care they were promised, cut red tape to Community Care.
Washington D.C.- The Veteran’s Administration has for years made available to veterans “The Community Care Program” which gives veterans the option to receive care at private healthcare facilities when they live in rural areas of the country, when the VA facility they use cannot provide the care they need onsite or when it’s in the best interest of the veteran to receive offsite healthcare.
Since its inception, The Community Care Program has been rife with red tape to wade through in order to participate in the program. For some time, a veteran would have to be pre-approved to go into the program to begin with. Then, as the veteran’s care progressed in the private sector, they would have to get re-approved every 3 months to remain in the program. Last May 2025, The Veteran’s Administration made it their new policy that veterans would only be required to get approved to remain in Community Care every 12 months rather than every 3 months.
SCARS applauds and supports The Veteran’s Administration’s decision to cut some of the red tape required to remain in The Community Care Program. However, The Veteran’s Administration can change its policies at any time. Just like they made new policy improving access to The Community Care Program, they can take it away or, worse yet, add more red tape to remain in the program.
This year, 2 Congressmen introduced a Bill that would make the new VA policy law such that the cutting of the red tape becomes a Federal Statute rather than a policy that could be rescinded at any time. The Veteran’s Administration has in the past made clear that the Administration is not in favor of The Community Care Program. The program was forced on the VA to begin with back in 2018 with Legislation titled “The MISSION Act” which improved and expanded the prior “Veteran’s Choice” Program introduced in 2014 and its extensive red tape.
The new Bill proposed and titled, “The Critical Access for Veterans Care Act” would further expand access to Community Care for more rural veterans. That provision, which makes smaller, local healthcare facilities within 35 miles of the veteran receiving VA care available for the Community Care program. The new proposal will also:
*Prohibit the VA from employing tactics like prior authorization, referrals, or other box checking activities which delay care and create unnecessary hurdles for veterans. (The new, current policy)
*Updates the payment methodology to match the cost-based reimbursement currently used in Medicare to ensure Critical Access Hospitals are not reimbursed less to treat veterans than other patients.
*Allows referrals originating from the Critical Access Hospital or Rural Health Clinic to other providers within the same community.
The new Bill has great support so far. However, not every Representative is on board with the Bill. For example, Congressional Representative Mark Takano of California does not support the new Bill. Rep Takano states that, “The VA provides specialized care that responds to veterans’ needs and experiences, he argues.
“We must prevent funds from being siphoned away from veterans’ hospitals and clinics, or VA will crumble,” Takano said in a statement released by his office. “Veterans cannot afford for us to dismantle VA direct care in favor of shifting more care to the community.” Rep Takano is on The House Veteran’s Affairs Committee.
Siphoning money away from the VA is not a problem because the money to fund the New Community Care provisions in the new Bill have already been funded by Congress! Representative Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said veterans in some areas of the country have had more trouble than others in getting VA approval for care from private clinics and hospitals. Rep. Bost helped gain the House’s approval for President Trump’s request for $34.7 billion for the community care program in 2026. The money is already in place and there is a 50% increase in funding from just one year ago in 2025. The Senate included similar figures in its Bill passed on August 1st, 2025.
SCARS, in our mission in support of Veterans, believes this Bill to be a giant leap forward in providing high quality mental and physical healthcare to our deserving Veterans. The Bill does exactly what should have been done when the Community Care Program was first put in place as “The Veteran’s Choice Program” back in 2014. It cuts red tape. Our veteran’s wanting to or needing to receive community care have jumped through hoops and red tape long enough!
Please, show your support for the Bill by contacting your Congressional and Senate Representatives and asking them directly to support our Veterans by showing their support for the Bill. Click the link below and enter your address and your Representative or Senator and their contact information will pop up. A simple phone call can mean a lot to our veterans.
The Bill is titled “The Critical Access for Veterans Care Act” and tell them YOU support it as should THEY!
Click HERE to find your representatives by Address
Read more about the Bill here:
Thanks for assisting SCARS in our mission!