Congressman Kline helps steer "Rural Veterans Access to Care" Act to passage

John Kline co-sponsors bipartisan legislation that will make health care more accessible for rural veterans

Congressman John Kline helped steer to passage bipartisan legislation that will make health care more accessible for veterans who live in rural areas. The "Rural Veterans Access to Care Act," co-sponsored by Minnesota Congressmen John Kline (R-MN) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), passed today in the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
"Thousands of Minnesota veterans live far from a VA Hospital or medical facility," said Congressman Kline, a 25-year Marine Corps veteran, whose wife was a career Army nurse, and son has served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. "This bipartisan legislation will make it more convenient for them to receive the quality health care they deserve."
 
The "Rural Veterans Access to Care Act" allows a veteran from a highly rural area who is enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system to elect to receive covered health services through a non-VA health provider. The VA defines a "highly rural veteran" as one who resides more than 60 miles from the nearest VA facility providing primary care services, more than 240 miles from a VA facility providing tertiary care (depending on the services needed); or otherwise experiences hardships or other difficulties in travel to the nearest appropriate VA. The legislation also directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish to a highly rural veteran such drugs and medicines as may be ordered on prescription of a duly licensed physician in the treatment of any illness or injury.
 
Congressman Kline also helped pass the "Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008," which will adjust veterans' compensation rates to keep pace with inflation. This increase will go to nearly 3 million veterans and more than 300,000 surviving spouses receiving dependency and indemnity compensation.

Congressman Kline is the only active Marine Corps veteran serving in Congress and is considered by members from both sides of the aisle to be an expert on veterans and defense issues. Earlier this year, he co-sponsored two separate GI Bills - one authored by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), and one authored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) - which were merged into one bill and signed into law. That GI Bill improves education benefits for our veterans of today and tomorrow, and their families, and Congressman Kline was proud to help steer to passage the final legislation which included unprecedented benefits, including transferability of education benefits to family members.