# 119-s-1868: Critical Access for Veterans Care Act

119-s-1868, Critical Access for Veterans Care Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1868
- As of: 2026-07-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1868
- Congress: 119
- Title: Critical Access for Veterans Care Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-05-22
- Sponsor: Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-15

## Summary

**Expands veterans' access to care at Critical Access Hospitals** by creating a new 35-mile eligibility path and removing preauthorization barriers so veterans can seek nearby CAH and affiliated rural clinic care more easily. This change also shifts payment and claims rules to align with Medicare rates and cost-based reimbursement.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Medicare pay and faster VA payments: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would pay critical access hospitals at the Medicare cost‑based rate and affiliated provider‑based rural clinics at the rate under section 1833 for care under the 35‑mile pathway. Claims for that care would need a special identifier and would be reimbursed at the Medicare cost level.…
- More local care for nearby veterans: benefit, medium. If enacted, you could get VA community care at a nearby critical access hospital or its affiliated rural clinic if you live within 35 miles. This would apply when you seek care at that hospital or clinic, or at a VA‑specified provider referred by them. The VA could not require prior authorization o…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-1868 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1868)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-524)
- [119-s-2142: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2142)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-124)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1868 (as of 2026-07-15).