Legislature supports Rep. Chuck Moseley’s resolution on the Veterans Choice Act

INDIANAPOLIS — State Rep. Chuck Moseley (D-Portage) continues his strong support of veterans with a resolution to pursue more aggressive action in implementing the Veterans Choice Act.

House Resolution 9 recognizes the importance of veterans receiving health care in a timely manner.

The Veterans Access, Choice & Accountability Act of 2014 was created to speed up Veterans Health Administration (VHA) processing for health requests made by veterans. The bill allows those who face a wait time of 30 days or live 40 miles away from the nearest VHA facility to receive treatment from a non-VHA hospital.

“The Veterans Choice Act was created to ensure that our veterans are not forced to wait for the medical care they need,” commented Moseley.

The bill was in response to the number of Indiana veterans that had to cross state lines to receive the treatment they needed. The act created a Veterans Choice Card, which was intended to alleviate delays in treatment by allowing veterans to seek treatment locally.

However, the act has not resulted in significant improvement in respect to veterans’ appointment wait time and convenience of care.

“The Veterans Choice Act was created to eliminate the costly, delayed treatment that plagues Indiana veterans,” said Moseley. “Instead of alleviating their burden, a new stress was introduced that could further impact veterans’ health outcomes.”

Moseley presented a resolution in the House to improve the effectiveness of the Veterans Choice Act by asking the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure the effective administration of the Veterans Choice Act.

“This resolution will redirect attention to the original purpose of this bill,” said Moseley.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much defending our nation, the least we can do is ensure that they are receiving the health care they need and deserve.”