Luján, Heinrich Introduce Legislation to Expand Health Care for Veterans in Otero and Eddy Counties

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act of 2026, legislation to improve access to health care services for veterans living in Otero and Eddy Counties. The legislation directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to realign Otero and Eddy counties within a Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) boundary that would allow rural veterans to access and receive reimbursement for care at Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities closer to home. U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) leads the legislation in the House.

Currently, veterans in Otero and Eddy Counties are assigned to the Albuquerque VA health care system through existing VISN boundaries, requiring some veterans to travel up to four hours to access care. Despite El Paso being significantly closer and more accessible for many veterans in these counties, current VISN boundaries prevent El Paso VA facilities from serving as their primary VA facility and limit reimbursement for travel to their assigned facility in Albuquerque. This legislation would address these challenges by realigning the VISN boundary for Otero and Eddy counties, ensuring veterans have greater access to timely care closer to home.

"Our veterans in New Mexico and across the country deserve timely, high-quality care, no matter where they call home," said Senator Luján. "Too many veterans - especially in Otero and Eddy Counties - face barriers to getting the care they've earned. I'm proud to introduce this legislation to expand care options and bring services closer to home."

"The VA is forcing veterans in Otero and Eddy Counties to drive hours to Albuquerque for care, even though a VA medical center in El Paso is much closer. It makes no sense. It wastes veterans' time and gas money, and it makes it harder for elderly and disabled veterans to access the care they've earned. That's unacceptable," said Senator Heinrich. "Our New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act is a commonsense solution that directs the VA to allow veterans in these counties to receive the care they need, closer to home without unnecessary travel."

"Serving this vast district requires more than talk, it requires action, and I'm proud to offer a real solution that veterans have been asking for years. The fact that Alamogordo veterans must seek medical services at the Albuquerque VA facility when El Paso is exponentially closer, is an example of government bureaucracy at its worst. That's why I introduced the New Mexico Rural Veteran Health Care Access Act in the House to directly address this problem and make it easier for our nation's heroes to access the care they need," said Representative Vasquez. "Long before I held this position, I've been showing up and listening to our rural veterans. I will continue to fight to ensure our veterans get the care they deserve closer to home."

"Here in Alamogordo, veterans are struggling to attend required medical appointments and receive little to no money for mileage reimbursement when traveling to El Paso and Las Cruces, even though they are closer than our assigned VA facility in Albuquerque. We do not have buses anymore and are forced to drive without adequate reimbursement," said USAF Retired Master Sgt. Roland 'Coopdawg' Cooper, Chairman of Lincoln Otero County Veterans Leadership Council. "I sincerely appreciate Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich's dedication to finding a solution to the decades-old problem."

Full bill text is available here.

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