Upton Hails Veterans Healthcare Bill

One year after it was signed by President Donald Trump, the the VA Mission Act went into effect last week. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the new law increases the options for healthcare available to veterans.

“It allows individuals in their home communities, if a veteran’s service is not provided by a veterans facility, they can get that care right there at home,” Upton said. “We’ve heard from a number of providers, including Lakeland here in Berrien, that they’ve already worked with the VA to try to make sure that it is a seamless transition.”

Upton says southwest Michigan has a lot of veterans who live far from a VA facility. He says allowing veterans to get care closer to home will be better for them than having to take a long trip. Under the VA Mission Act, veterans who live outside of a 30 minute drive to a VA medical facility for primary care or a 60 minute drive for specialty care and who experience long waiting times will be allowed to seek private care.