Rep. Chip Roy Pushes to Improve Healthcare Options for Veterans

Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) will reintroduce the Veteran Access to Direct Primary Care Act on Friday to grant veterans access to an innovative new health care option.

This bill will establish a pilot program at the VA that provides veterans the option to enroll in direct primary care (DPC). This effort will put doctor/patient relationships first and give veterans easier accessibility to quality care.

Representative Roy said,“All too often, veterans are forced to wait to receive the medical care they have earned. They put their lives on the line for our freedom, so they should have nothing less than the complete freedom to control their care.

That’s why I am reintroducing the Veteran Access to Direct Primary Care Act to cut through layers of burdensome regulations and give veterans access to care where doctor-patient relationships are put first.”

Under the pilot program, veterans will have the ability to choose a "Veteran Health Savings Account" that allows veterans the ability to purchase DPC service agreements while still obtaining non-primary care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation will give veterans the opportunity to use DPC physicians, who can write prescriptions, suture wounds, provide in-office care, and video conference directly with patients, amongst other services.

Co-sponsors for this legislation include Representatives Eli Crane (AZ-2), Lance Gooden (TX-5), Mary Miller (IL-15), Roger Williams (TX-25) and Dan Bishop (NC-8).

Read full text of legislation here.