House votes to give veterans access to private care to ease delays

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House votes to give veterans access to private care to ease delays

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday to give thousands of veterans emergency access to private care to address a crisis that has embarrassed the Obama administration and worried lawmakers in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. The Senate is considering a similar bill after the government found clinics run by Veterans Affairs were hiding long wait times, during which some veterans are said to have died. Both measures would allow veterans access to private healthcare providers at VA expense if they face a long wait or if they live more than 40 miles (64 km) from a VA facility. The House measure had initially specified a wait-time trigger of more than 30 days, but the passed bill allows the VA to decide, making it consistent with the Senate bill.

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