{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E9B2EAF8-9524-4D8F-95D9-87C6D03A5ED7", "Heitkamp: New Fargo VA Pilot Program Will Improve Scheduling & Care for North Dakota Veterans", "2016-10-04", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced that a new pilot program will allow veterans to use the Fargo Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System to schedule appointments through the Veterans Choice Program starting today.\r\nArea veterans currently schedule appointments for non-VA care under the Choice Program through HealthNet, a third party administrator that has created headaches for veterans seeking everything from routine checkups to life-saving cancer treatments in their home communities.\u00a0 Effective today, the Choice Program Care Coordination initiative will allow veterans to contact the Fargo VA\u2019s Clinical Resource Management Department at 866-517-9363 to schedule appointments directly rather than relying on HealthNet.\u00a0\r\n\u201cMaking sure veterans can use the Fargo VA to schedule appointments is a critical step in fixing the Veterans Choice program, and it\u2019s a move I\u2019ve long called for,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cWhen I held a roundtable on the Choice Program in Grand Forks in August, I heard from veterans, the VA, and health providers about how to fix the program \u2013 and scheduling difficulties cropped up again and again in our discussion. Going forward, I\u2019ll keep fighting to reform the Choice Program and guarantee our brave veterans get the care they need in their home communities.\u201d\r\nIn August, Heitkamp brought together veterans, local VA leaders, and health care providers in Grand Forks to discuss fixes she has proposed to improve the Veterans Choice program, so that North Dakota veterans get quality, timely care in their home communities. As Heitkamp works to reform the program, she has been gathering insight from veterans and care providers.\r\nHeitkamp helped introduce a bill to reform the Veterans Choice program in March. The Improving Veterans Access to Care in the Community Act would give the VA flexibility to improve care for North Dakota veterans by streamlining and consolidating community care programs, while eliminating bureaucratic obstacles preventing veterans from accessing care.\r\nTwo provisions from that bill \u2013 which would boost VA spending flexibility and simplify VA medical provider agreements \u2013 were included in the Veterans First Act, a bill the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee passed in May. The bill is awaiting consideration by the Senate.\u00a0\r\nCongress passed a bipartisan bill to reform the VA and improve access to care in 2014, and since then Heitkamp has pushed to make sure the bill is implemented properly \u2013 especially for veterans who live far from VA medical facilities. The reforms included a Veterans Choice program to allow veterans who have difficulty obtaining a timely appointment with the VA or live more than 40 miles from a VA health care facility to seek care from local providers. However, countless North Dakota veterans\u00a0\u2013 as well as some participating community health providers \u2013 have shared serious challenges they have encountered in the new program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E9B2EAF8-9524-4D8F-95D9-87C6D03A5ED7"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9885299950838089, "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"}