Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. Senate passed the VA MISSION Act, a legislative package that included provisions from Idaho Senator Mike Crapo’s Veterans Health Administration Reform Act, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), to improve veterans’ access to local, individualized care in Idaho and across the nation.

“We made a promise to care for our veterans, even after their service is complete,” said Senator Risch. “Fundamentally, that means ensuring access to affordable, timely health care regardless of geographic limitations. This bill provides veterans with more options for care, and in rural Idaho, will allow them to work with their physicians on the treatment plan most convenient to them.”

The VA MISSION Act, which includes Risch’s and Crapo’s provisions, consolidates the VA’s seven community care programs into one streamlined ‘Veterans Community Care Program’ to provide veterans with access to efficient, timely and quality health care and services in their own communities. Further, it improves existing VA health care and services, improves opioid prescribing guidelines and expands eligibility for the VA’s Caregiver Program to veterans of all generations, not just those injured on or after September 11, 2001. Learn more about the bill here.