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Expands veterans’ access to care at critical access hospitals (CAHs) and their affiliated provider‑based rural health clinics by allowing veterans who live within 35 miles of those facilities to receive care without prior authorization or a referral. It sets payment to Medicare-based rates, requires faster claim payment timing, defines “critical access hospital,” and directs a report to Congress on implementation within one year.
The change is focused on improving timely, local access to care for rural veterans and streamlining billing and payment rules between the VA and small rural hospitals and their affiliated clinics.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced May 22, 2025 by Kevin Cramer · Last progress May 22, 2025