Proposal would create a new vets insurance program, bypassing VA

Federal Times: WASHINGTON — A Colorado lawmaker on Tuesday introduced legislation to create a veterans health insurance program to allow them to skip the Department of Veterans Affairs entirely and get private-sector medical care at taxpayers’ expense.

“This bill throws out the idea of acceptable patient wait times and eliminates the requirement of the veteran to ask for VA permission to use civilian medical providers,” said Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican and former member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“It gives veterans full authority to use the existing VA system or not.”

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