Veterans in crisis deserve care quickly: Pass the ACCESS Act now

The Hill

2 days ago

During the past administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to meet the basic health care needs of the men and women who served this country. Too often, veterans are met with canceled appointments, unexplained delays and systemic barriers that keep them from life-saving care, especially for mental health and substance use treatment.
The Veterans' ACCESS Act of 2025 offers a necessary course correction. The Senate must pass this legislation to finally restore transparency, urgency and most of all, control to the veterans who have earned it.
Under the current Veterans Administration system, veterans in crisis can wait weeks (or worst case, longer) for treatment that should be available in hours. In Florida, veterans have reported the VA abruptly cutting off access to trusted community doctors, forcing them to reenter the VA system against their will and without warning.
'The VA is taking away our doctors,' one veteran recently said, calling the process 'confusing and frustrating.' Another veteran described the system as 'a bureaucratic nightmare' that puts the needs of the department above the needs of the patient.
These aren't isolated stories. They reflect a national problem and a broken promise.
The Veterans' ACCESS Act responds directly to these failures. The bill codifies into law the access standards that determine when a veteran can seek care outside the VA system.
Veterans who cannot get VA appointments within 20 days for primary or mental health care, or who must drive more than 30 minutes, are legally entitled to community care. For specialty care, the thresholds are 28 days or 60 minutes. No longer will these protections be buried in VA regulations, vulnerable to quiet reversal by future administrations or agency staff.
Equally important, the legislation imposes transparency. The VA will be required to inform veterans, in writing, when they are eligible for community care. If the VA denies access, it must provide clear reasons and explain how the veteran can appeal.
These steps will end the practice, long criticized by veterans and advocates, of VA employees concealing care options or failing to notify patients at all.
This reform is especially vital for veterans struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.
A Military.com investigation last year found that canceled mental health appointments and unexplained mix-ups were common, leaving veterans without care at the worst possible times. One veteran shared that he was scheduled for a treatment program, only to find out weeks later that no one had processed the referral.
To address this, the ACCESS Act requires that any veteran requesting mental health treatment be screened within 48 hours. If they are eligible for priority admission, they must be admitted within 48 hours after that. If the VA cannot meet that timeline, the veteran must be offered care from a private provider, ensuring that no one is left waiting when they are in crisis.
Recently, a federal watchdog report urged the VA to improve access to community care and address significant gaps in patient safety. Among the failures: mishandled medical records, inconsistent referrals and a lack of oversight in coordinating outside care.
These deficiencies put veterans at unnecessary risk and confirm what advocates have said for years — the VA is still not equipped to handle the full scope of veterans' health care needs.
The ACCESS Act also includes a commonsense modernization effort: an online portal that allows veterans to request appointments, track referrals and file or follow appeals. This system will give veterans a clear view of their care journey, ending their reliance on paperwork, phone calls and VA-run referral offices that are often unresponsive
Veterans deserve to be in charge of their health care, not VA bureaucrats. The Veterans' ACCESS Act will ensure that no veteran is denied care because a staff member didn't make a referral, didn't notify them of their rights or quietly changed an internal rule.
It restores the intent of the 2018 MISSION Act, which gave veterans the freedom to choose community care when the VA could not meet their needs. That freedom has been steadily eroded, and now it must be protected in law.
The Senate and House must pass the Veterans' ACCESS Act as soon as possible and without sunsets so that veterans have certainty their healthcare choice is permanent. The cost of delay is measured in more than frustration. It's measured in lives.
Veterans who served this country with courage and honor deserve a health care system that serves them with the same urgency and respect. This legislation ensures that promise is kept.
Amber Smith, a spokesperson for the Coalition for Military Excellence, is a former U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot and former deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
Darin Selnick serves as senior advisor for Veteran Action, is a former ‌deputy ‌chief of ‌staff to ‌the Secretary of Defense and served at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the White House during the first Trump administration.