Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Bost
In Committee
Summary
Faster, clearer access to VA community care and mental health treatment. This bill would set measurable drive‑time and wait‑time standards for community care, tighten timelines and appeals for denials, and standardize rapid screening and admission for residential mental health programs.
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- Veterans and households: Veterans would get written notice of eligibility within two business days and VA would have to schedule primary, mental health, and most extended care within a 30‑minute average drive and 20 days of request. Specialty care would be scheduled within a 60‑minute drive and 28 days.
- Mental health patients and families: The bill would require a standardized clinical screen within 48 hours of an admission request and admission of priority cases within 48 hours of determination. Placement must weigh veteran preferences and proximity to social supports and VA must offer accredited non‑VA options and transportation help if it cannot meet standards.
- Providers and VA modernization: Provider claim deadlines would extend from 180 days to 1 year. The bill would reform the Center for Innovation with a required budget line item, create a three‑year pilot in at least five sites to allow outpatient mental health and substance use care without referrals, and require an interactive online self‑service appointment and appeals tool with a plan due in 180 days.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Faster non‑VA care choices for veterans
This bill would let covered veterans use non‑VA care when VA cannot meet set drive‑time or wait‑time standards. Primary care, mental health, and most extended care would need a VA appointment within 30 minutes driving time and within 20 days of the request. Specialty care would need a VA appointment within 60 minutes driving time and within 28 days of the request. VA would have to notify eligible veterans in writing within two business days after learning the veteran seeks care.
Faster residential mental‑health admissions
This bill would require VA to set a standard clinical screening process within one year for residential mental health and substance use care. Veterans must be screened within 48 hours of a request and, if eligible for priority admission, admitted within 48 hours of that decision. If VA cannot admit a veteran in time, the veteran would be offered accredited, contracted non‑VA residential care and VA would help with or reimburse transportation. VA would also have to notify denials in writing within two business days and decide clinical appeals within 72 hours.
Online tools and direct mental‑health pilot
This bill would require VA to build an interactive online module so veterans can request appointments, track VA and non‑VA referrals, get appointment reminders, and appeal denials. The plan for that tool would be due within 180 days and VA would send quarterly updates for two years. The bill would also start a three‑year pilot, in at least five locations, letting enrolled veterans get outpatient mental health and substance use care without referral or pre‑authorization at pilot sites.
Stronger VA innovation center oversight
This bill would place the VA Center for Innovation in the Office of the Secretary and make several of its authorities mandatory. The Center would need a budget line item in VA budget documents and must report to Congress at least once a year on activities and outcomes. The Center could use specified waivers and would expand required participants and reporting.
More time for providers to file claims
This bill would give health‑care entities and providers up to one year to submit VA prompt‑payment claims instead of the current 180 days. The change would be effective upon enactment and would not change payment rates.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bost
IL • R
Cosponsors
Gonzales, Tony
TX • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Carter (GA)
GA • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 9/10/2025
DesJarlais
TN • R
Sponsored 9/15/2025
Yakym
IN • R
Sponsored 9/15/2025
Massie
KY • R
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Hinson
IA • R
Sponsored 9/18/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Feenstra
IA • R
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Collins
GA • R
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Lawler
NY • R
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Bergman
MI • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Hamadeh (AZ)
AZ • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Miller-Meeks
IA • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Barrett
MI • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Kiggans (VA)
VA • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]
MP • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Bilirakis
FL • R
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Murphy
NC • R
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Van Orden
WI • R
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Franklin, Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 2/5/2025
Biggs (SC)
SC • R
Sponsored 2/10/2025
Crenshaw
TX • R
Sponsored 2/24/2025
Webster (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 2/25/2025
Pfluger
TX • R
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Luttrell
TX • R
Sponsored 3/14/2025
McDowell
NC • R
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Haridopolos
FL • R
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large]
AS • R
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Begich
AK • R
Sponsored 3/24/2025
Miller (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Mace
SC • R
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Rutherford
FL • R
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Tenney
NY • R
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 4/8/2025
Moore (NC)
NC • R
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Downing
MT • R
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Stauber
MN • R
Sponsored 4/29/2025
Baumgartner
WA • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Fry
SC • R
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Malliotakis
NY • R
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Kustoff
TN • R
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Fischbach
MN • R
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Timmons
SC • R
Sponsored 5/8/2025
James
MI • R
Sponsored 5/19/2025
Amodei (NV)
NV • R
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Lee (FL)
FL • R
Sponsored 6/25/2025
De La Cruz
TX • R
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Messmer
IN • R
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Fine
FL • R
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Biggs (AZ)
AZ • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Finstad
MN • R
Sponsored 6/27/2025
Strong
AL • R
Sponsored 6/30/2025
Fallon
TX • R
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Rulli
OH • R
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Stutzman
IN • R
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Taylor
OH • R
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Crank
CO • R
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Schmidt
KS • R
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Nunn (IA)
IA • R
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Buchanan
FL • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Williams (TX)
TX • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
McGuire
VA • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Westerman
AR • R
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Ezell
MS • R
Sponsored 9/16/2025
Crane
AZ • R
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Shreve
IN • R
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Fields
LA • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Langworthy
NY • R
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Hunt
TX • R
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Mills
FL • R
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Joyce (PA)
PA • R
Sponsored 11/7/2025
McCormick
GA • R
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Hurd (CO)
CO • R
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Cammack
FL • R
Sponsored 2/4/2026
Tiffany
WI • R
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Obernolte
CA • R
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Donalds
FL • R
Sponsored 3/9/2026
Bentz
OR • R
Sponsored 3/9/2026
Edwards
NC • R
Sponsored 3/24/2026
Kelly (PA)
PA • R
Sponsored 3/24/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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