Sinema cosponsored the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act to ensure the VA maintains fair ambulance rates
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act – bipartisan legislation protecting access to emergency medical transportation for Arizona veterans in rural areas. This bipartisan bill stops a new unfair rule from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that could force emergency transportation providers out of business.
“Arizona veterans earned quality care – and that includes access to emergency transportation. That is why we are stopping VA’s new unfair rule making emergency transportation out of reach for Arizona veterans to ensure fair ambulance and transportation rates for Arizona veterans living in rural communities across our state,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Arizona veterans rely on emergency transportation to access urgent and lifesaving medical care, particularly those living in rural or hard-to-reach areas. The VA’s new rule would bring reimbursement rates far below the costs of these services, causing emergency transportation providers to reduce services or even require veterans to pay the remainder of the costs. With the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act, the Senator is protecting these veterans’ access to affordable emergency transportation.