(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the VA announced its Veterans Coordinated Access and Rewarding Experiences, or CARE, proposal to replace the VA’s community care programs:

“Secretary Shulkin’s proposal is a good starting point that takes into account months of our bipartisan conversations about the future of community care. I’m pleased that the VA has prioritized putting veterans and their doctors at the center of medical decisions and getting rid of a one-size-fits-all system that doesn’t work for our nation’s veterans. I look forward to a collaborative process between veterans, the VA and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to craft a community care system that does right by veterans.”

In July, Tester announced legislation to consolidate and streamline the VA’s multiple community care programs into one easy-to-use program. The VA’s CARE proposal pulls from Tester’s Improving Veterans Access to Community Care Act by putting health care decisions in the hands of a veteran and their doctor, rather than relying on arbitrary criteria that don’t serve veterans in Montana.