FROM THE FIELD: Tech Chairman Tom Barrett Hosts Field Hearing on Advancing Quality Healthcare Access for Michigan Veterans and Servicemembers

FROM THE FIELD: Tech Chairman Tom Barrett Hosts Field Hearing on Advancing Quality Healthcare Access for Michigan Veterans and Servicemembers

GRAND LEDGE, MI - Today, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the subcommittee's field hearing at the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility in Michigan entitled, "Delivering Quality and Modern Healthcare to Michigan's Veterans and Servicemembers," to hear from local providers and key stakeholders about the importance of leveraging the right technology to deliver the best, quality healthcare and benefits to veterans in the Great Lakes State and across the country.

Good morning, and to my friend Ranking Member Nikki Budzinski, welcome to Michigan.

The Subcommittee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair may declare a recess at any point.

I want to start by thanking the Michigan Army National Guard for hosting us here at the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility and the staff from Michigan's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs that helped make this hearing possible.

I have the privilege of representing Michigan's 7th Congressional District, and it is especially meaningful to return to a facility where I trained and served.

I brought the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization here today because oversight does not stop in Washington, D.C.

It is important for Congress to hear from veterans, providers, and leaders in the communities where they live, where they receive care, and where the rubber meets the road with VA systems that are felt every day by real patients.

The mission of this Subcommittee is to make sure that VA is leveraging the right technology to deliver the best health care and benefits to veterans not only in Michigan, but across the country.

This means finally transitioning the VA into the 21st century.

The modern health care landscape demands agility. We can no longer remain anchored to the expensive, inefficient, hospital-centric care models of the past.

But technology alone will not make new health care providers appear. VA must continue to strengthen its community care program to ensure the doctors and providers living in our communities can continue to meet veterans where they live and work.

Every decision VA makes should focus on putting veterans first - , not bureaucracy.

As many of us know, veterans here in the Greater Lansing area are about an hour away from both the Battle Creek and Ann Arbor VA Medical Centers.

For some veterans, this distance makes getting care a burden, especially with the long wait times that can come from a VA hospital.

This topic is personal to me.

When veterans are referred to community care, the scheduling process should be simple, fast, and focused on their health care.

But for too long, that has not been the case.

The scheduler ends up calling over and over again. A process that stretches over hours and weeks, delaying care for the men and women who earned it.

I've experienced these frustrations myself.

I'm pleased to see the VA is finally taking steps to address these issues and update the technology and systems our veterans rely on.

VA has been piloting the technology known as the External Provider Scheduling system, or EPS for short. This scheduling system eliminates a large portion of the time and labor-intensive aspects of community care scheduling by giving VA schedulers direct access to a community provider's appointment availability.

Prior to this pilot, VA staff had to pick up the phone - again and again - often calling the veteran and the provider multiple times to schedule a simple appointment.

The telephone is an invention of the 19th century. The EPS program is an invention of the 21st century, and it's exactly the type of modern tool VA should be using to advance access to care in mid-Michigan and nationwide.

When servicemembers sign that dotted line, they make a commitment to this country with the expectation that we will uphold our promise to them through quality VA health care access.

When they walk through the doors at a VA hospital, or call to receive care in their community, that promise shouldn't fall through.

The VA's piloting of EPS is one of many ways the VA has begun to fix the problem and uphold that commitment.

Through EPS, providers agree to share their scheduling grids with VA and allow VA schedulers to search and sort appointments by distance, drive time, and availability in a matter of minutes.

With available community care appointments on one screen, a VA scheduler can book the appointment directly with a provider with just one call to the veteran.

Spending less time scheduling each appointment means schedulers can be more efficient and veterans, like the ones in this very room, can get their appointments faster.

EPS is now active nationwide in all VA medical centers, and I want to thank Secretary Collins for his work on delivering for our nation's veterans.

There are roughly 24,000 community care providers currently active in EPS, and that number will need to keep growing if the program is going to reach its full potential.

While provider participation is critical, VA must also ensure that the technology is being utilized across the nation.

Despite EPS's strong results, the Biden administration repeatedly put roadblocks in front of the program, directly impacting veterans here in Michigan.

In 2024, the Biden administration paused enrollment of community providers, shut down active EPS sites, and halted nationwide expansion plans, all while citing budget shortfalls that never materialized.

The damage went beyond veterans. VA also undermined trust with community providers who may now think twice before partnering again.

When I first heard about this, I knew we needed to take action to get the program back on track - for good.

That is why I, alongside my fellow Midwesterner, Ranking Member Budzinski, introduced the bipartisan H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act.

The legislation would codify and expand VA's EPS program by authorizing a nationwide electronic scheduling process that allows VA staff to efficiently schedule appointments for veterans right away.

This legislation would ensure that no matter who is in the White House, veterans are still able to access the quick appointments they have earned.

My commonsense bill passed the House last month unanimously, and I am excited to see it be included in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. This package includes more than 60 other bipartisan bills to modernize, enhance, and reform the delivery of healthcare and benefits for veterans. I look forward to President Trump signing it to into law.

This great effort will ensure EPS is not just a pilot or a 4-year program - but rather a permanent capability for the betterment of veterans.

VA has a real opportunity to improve veterans' lives with this technology, and I am proud to lead the charge on it.

At today's hearing, I expect VA to outline the progress made thus far, how integrated scheduling will be fully optimized, and its plans to integrate with the new electronic health record system that was just deployed at our Michigan VA facilities to ensure veterans receive appointments when they need them most.

Before I turn it over to Ranking Member Budzinski, I want to remind everyone here today that this is a Congressional Oversight Hearing, not an open forum.

Only Members of Congress and invited Witnesses will be and are recognized to speak. If anyone has specific concerns or issues with the VA, I encourage you to reach out to my district office, and we would be happy to assist you. Thank you.

With that, I yield to Ranking Member Budzinski for her opening statement.

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