{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-veterans-affairs-committee-considers-cramer-bill-to-improve-access-to-care-for-rural-veterans", "Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Considers Cramer Bill to Improve Access to Care for Rural Veterans", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ND", "Kevin Cramer", "C001096", "www.cramer.senate.gov", "cramer", "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee (SVAC) examined U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Tim Sheehy\u2019s (R-MT) legislation to improve veterans access to local care options, the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act. This bill would allow veterans living in rural America to seek health care services at local Critical Access Hospitals or Rural Health Clinics.\n\n\u201cThe Community Care program literally can be a lifeline,\u201d said Cramer.\u201c[What] prevents it from being a lifeline as often as it ought to be is all of the roadblocks that get put up. [\u2026] After hearing from veterans and rural health care providers and leaders across North Dakota, I proposed a solution with Senator Sheehy to simplify access to the Critical Access network, whether it\u2019s a Critical Access Hospital [or] Rural Health Clinic.\u201d\n\nThe North Dakota Rural Health Association and a coalition of 22 rural healthcare providers across North Dakota submitted letters of support for Cramer\u2019s legislation, writing \u201cFar too long veterans have been stuck in a system where access has been overshadowed by bureaucratic procedure. This legislation offers a streamlined, practical approach which builds on existing infrastructure and recognized designations in rural health care to meaningfully improve veteran access to care.\u201d The bill is also supported by the American Hospital Association, America\u2019s Warrior Partnership, and the National Rural Health Association.\n\nNorth Dakota Veteran and Critical Access Hospital CEO Marcus Lewis similarlysubmitted a letter of support for the bill, writing, \u201cMy circumstances reflect those of many rural veterans. I live more than three hours from the nearest VA hospital and work more than two hours from that facility. Yet within 50 miles of my home are three community healthcare facilities, including the one I lead, First Care Health. Despite the availability of this high-quality local care, I am currently paying out of pocket for needed therapy because accessing services through the Community Care Network has proven prohibitively difficult.\u201d\n\nLewis concluded, \u201cS.1868, the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act, is an important and necessary step toward addressing these long-standing inequities.\u201d\n\nMany of America\u2019s veterans live in rural or highly rural areas and face major challenges to accessing quality and timely health care. North Dakota has one VA Medical Center in Fargo and eight Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Grafton, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, and Williston.\n\nThere are 37 Critical Access Hospitals in towns across North Dakota, but only five of those communities also have a VA CBOC.\n\nThe bill would amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018 to create a new category under which care is required to be furnished through community providers, specifically for care sought by a veteran residing with 35 miles of the Critical Access Hospital or Rural Health Clinic.\n\n\u201cOur VA system effectively discriminates against our veterans compared to their neighbors, their non-veteran neighbors and friends, and family, by giving them less access to care that\u2019s readily available,\u201d said Cramer. \u201cThe goal is to give rural veterans access to local Critical Access Hospitals without the strings attached. [\u2026] I worry if the bill is watered down, quite honestly, that we turn the authority back over to the bureaucracy to decide.\u201d\n\nAt the hearing, Dr. Thomas O\u2019Toole, Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Services for the Veterans Health Administration, said the agency strongly supports the intent of this legislation as sees the need for it to meet the needs of rural veterans.\n\n\u201cI think the sticking point, which you noted, is really how do we create some clarity in language and direction as it relates to prior authorization versus clinical necessity,\u201d said Dr. O\u2019Toole. \u201cThat can be achievable and we\u2019re very much looking forward to working with you on how we get appropriate language to make that work.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-veterans-affairs-committee-considers-cramer-bill-to-improve-access-to-care-for-rural-veterans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2194511257112026, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}