On Thursday, President Obama signed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, H.R. 3230 (Rogers, R-KY), which will revamp the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department and improve health care access for veterans across the country.
H.R. 3230, approved by Congress last week, will allow veterans to seek private care at non-VA hospitals and clinics, if the veteran lives more than 40 miles from a VA facility, or if they are unable to get an appointment with a physician within a thirty-day timeframe. The bill also provides funding to hire additional doctors and nurses, and finances 27 clinics and VA medical facilities throughout the country. Overall, the bill provides a $16.3 billion funding package to reform the VA Department.