Story highlights
- Proposal would allow veterans to use non-VA medical facilities
- The plan would also end bonuses for VA staff for two years
- The measure was approved unanimously, and a similar proposal is in Senate legislation
The U.S. House unanimously approved legislation on Tuesday to permit veterans experiencing long wait times for medical appointments to seek care at non-VA facilities.
A similar measure has been proposed in the Senate, which could act later this week.
An internal Veterans Affairs audit released on Monday found that tens of thousands of newly returning veterans wait at least 90 days for medical care, while even more who signed up in the agency system over the past 10 years never got an immediate appointment they requested.
Scandal over delayed wait times has triggered a review of nearly 70 VA medical facilities nationwide by the agency's inspector general's office and forced the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
