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Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) introduced two pieces of legislation, the Veterans Right to Expediency Act and the Addressing Care Timelines (ACT) for Veterans Act, to help ensure veterans receive prompt and streamlined communication from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and are afforded additional time to comply with VA requirements. 

“The United States is fortunate to have brave veterans who donned the uniform, served our nation, and returned back to civilian life,” Latta said. “Just as our veterans made the commitment to defend our freedoms both at home and abroad, we must also make a commitment to ensure they receive the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve. The last thing veterans should worry about is being denied a disability claim or health care payment due to VA administrative hiccups and slow communication. That’s why I’m leading two bills in Congress that will ensure our veterans have additional flexibilities and receive prompt and streamlined communication from the VA, which will ultimately improve health care outcomes for our nation’s heroes.” 

Veterans Right to Expediency Act:

Latta previously hosted Veterans Advisory Group meetings where veterans expressed concerns that the delayed delivery of notifications was causing them to miss the window to submit an appeal. According to members of the Veterans Advisory Group, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stated that any delivery issues were due to processing delays with the United State Postal Service.

The Veterans Right to Expediency Act would require that all VA denial of claims for benefits notices be delivered by certified mail. Latta has introduced similar legislation in previous Congresses.

Click here for bill text.

Addressing Care Timelines (ACT) for Veterans Act:

Currently, if a veteran is eligible for treatment and suffering from a condition that prevents them from physically contacting the VA within 72-hours, the VA may deny payment.  

The Addressing Care Timelines (ACT) for Veterans Act would provide the VA Secretary with additional authorities to allow veterans an additional 24-hour period, at minimum, to notify the VA when receiving care at a non-VA facility. This additional time-period will allow for flexibility if a veteran needs additional time to recover from a severe medical condition or if they are experiencing other challenges.

Click here for bill text. 

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