EXCLUSIVE — A new bill proposed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would allow veterans to more easily access healthcare and avoid “bureaucratic hoops” that often keep former service members from receiving quality primary care services.
The Veteran Access to Direct Primary Care Act, which Roy has introduced for the last two Congresses, would give veterans the option to use a Veterans Affairs-managed “health savings account,” or HSA, per bill text provided exclusively to the Washington Examiner. An HSA would allow veterans direct access to primary care so they may avoid long wait times or long distances to facilities.
Under the bill, newly-confirmed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins would be called upon to create a pilot program that would give veterans HSAs that allow them to choose care with physicians in the area specifically aligned for veterans’ care.
The funds for the HSAs would come from the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA. Veterans can choose to have primary care through Direct Primary Care arrangements while also receiving benefits from the VHA for other healthcare services, such as non-covered prescriptions.
“It’s a sad fact that our veterans return home after defending our nation, only to be forced to cut through thick red tape to get the care and benefits they have earned,” Roy said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “I am proud to stand up for our heroes and lead the effort to give them the freedom to access healthcare that prioritizes patients, like direct primary care. Veterans should have access to the care that best fits their needs, whether that is within the VA or in the community.”
HSAs have become increasingly popular in recent years. In 2024, around 60% of employees chose HSA-qualifying health insurance plans, and nearly two-thirds of employers reported an increase in their workers enrolling in high-deductible health plans that are HSA-eligible. The plans usually enjoy a triple tax benefit: a tax deduction when contributing, tax-free growth, and ends tax-free when it’s used for medical expenses, per Investopedia.
For decades, veterans have faced long wait times to see providers, lack of access to care, and inadequate mental health support from Veterans Affairs. The VA told Congress in July last year that the department was expecting a $15 billion spending shortfall due to the increased number of veterans seeking medical treatments.
The House and Senate passed an additional $3 billion in additional funding in September, with the VA pushing for an additional $12 billion in supplemental legislation for more funds. However, the VA revised its shortfall estimates in late November, asking for a $6.6 billion supplement to the fiscal 2025 budget.
The 118th Congress ended without a supplemental being passed, kicking the problem into the 119th Congress, where GOP leaders and hardliners are stalling reconciliation and appropriations over a lack of agreement on topline numbers.
If Roy’s bill became law, it would fall under Collins’s newly approved jurisdiction. He said in his confirmation hearing last month that veterans would “not have a stronger fighter for the employees in the workforce than this secretary if confirmed” and ensured veterans would receive the “benefits that they deserve.”
The Veteran Access to Direct Primary Care Act comes as the Trump administration has zeroed in on the Department of Veterans Affairs as it seeks to roll back policies put in place by the Biden administration.
The department said last week it would comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to end DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, within the federal government. As of Jan. 27, the VA announced it placed nearly 60 employees solely focused on DEI on paid administrative leave and is working to cancel several contracts for DEI-related services totaling more than $6.1 million.
Roy’s bill was introduced in August 2023 to the Veterans Affairs Committee and referred to its subcommittee on Health in September, where it received no further action. With a GOP trifecta, several bills that have been introduced multiple times over the years may have ground to stand on thanks to Republicans flipping the Senate and White House in the 2024 election.
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With a razor-thin majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) can currently only afford to lose one seat to pass legislation along party lines.
The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ). In the 118th Congress, cosponsors included Crane, former Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale, former North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop, and Reps. Lance Gooden (R-TX), Mary Miller (R-IL), and Roger Williams (R-TX).