United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 9 R cosponsors

S 219 — Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

Last action — Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 23, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 9 sponsors

    1 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (9 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Veterans Health Care Freedom ActThis bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement.A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system.The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

6 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes a pilot program to enhance veterans' ability to choose health care providers and modifies existing access requirements for care under certain conditions.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1703(d)

    The Secretary shall → Except as provided by paragraph (4), the Secretary shall

    The bill adds a condition to the Secretary's general obligation to furnish care under this section.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1703(d)

    Beginning on the date that is four years after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act— (A) the requirements under paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) shall not apply with respect to furnishing hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered veteran under this section; and (B) the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered veteran under this section with the same conditions on the ability of the veteran to choose health care providers as specified in the pilot program described in section 2 of such Act.

    This provision eliminates certain access requirements to care for veterans after a specified period, allowing greater choice in health care providers.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1703A(a)(1)

    For purposes → Except as provided by subparagraph (E), for purposes

    The amendment adds a condition for the applicability of the provisions regarding care access requirements.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 1703A(a)(1)

    Beginning on the date that is four years after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act— (i) the requirement under subparagraph (A) and (C) that care or services may only be furnished under this section to covered individuals when such care or services are not feasibly available to the covered individual from a facility of the Department or through a contract or sharing agreement entered into pursuant to a provision of law other than this section shall not apply with respect to furnishing hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered individual under this section; and (ii) the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered individual under this section with the same conditions on the ability of the individual to choose health care providers as specified in the pilot program described in section 2 of such Act.

    The bill allows flexibility in choosing healthcare providers under certain conditions, removing feasibility requirements after a set period.

  • At non-Department facilities pursuant to, as appropriate— (A) section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, without regard to the requirements specified in subsection (d) of such section; or (B) section 1703A of such title, without regard to whether the care or service is not feasibly available to the eligible veteran from a facility of the Department or through a contract or sharing agreement entered into pursuant to a provision of law other than such section as required under subparagraphs (A) and (C) of subsection (a)(1) of such section.

    The bill allows eligible veterans to receive care from both Department facilities and non-Department facilities without following previous restrictions on facility availability.

  • Beginning on the date that is four years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to veterans under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the Network in which the veteran resides.

    Veterans will be able to access care from any VA medical facility without being restricted by their assigned network.

Action History

  1. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

  2. Introduced in Senate

  3. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 538 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (538)

538 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 538 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

veterans healthcare
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 219 do?
Veterans Health Care Freedom ActThis bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement.A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system.The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.
Who sponsors S 219?
S 219 is sponsored by Tuberville, Tommy (Republican), Cramer, Kevin (Republican), Wicker, Roger F. (Republican), Rounds, Mike (Republican), Cruz, Ted (Republican), Sheehy, Tim (Republican), Daines, Steve (Republican), Sullivan, Dan (Republican), and Blackburn, Marsha (Republican).
What is the current status of S 219?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 23, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 219?
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