Rep. Jen Kiggans Advocates for CHAMPVA Legislation During Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Jen Kiggans (VA-02) spoke at the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health regarding her legislation, H.R. 6526, Clarity on Care Options Act, which would require the VA to establish and maintain a publicly available directory of health care providers that accept coverage from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). 

Watch Rep. Kiggans’ remarks here.

Excerpts of Rep. Kiggans’ speech, as prepared for delivery: 

My state is home to thousands of Americans who use CHAMPVA to support our nation’s veterans. Caregiving requires tremendous sacrifice, but access to quality healthcare shouldn’t be one of them. 

CHAMPVA is vital for the caregivers and dependents of permanently disabled veterans. It ensures they can continue to support the veteran in their lives and still receive the healthcare services they require. 

However, it can be difficult for caregivers and dependents to find providers in their community that accept CHAMPVA.

On most occasions, caregivers have to do their own research to find specific providers that will take their coverage, often delaying much needed care. 

To support our veteran caregivers in finding providers more easily, I introduced the Clarity on Care Options Act, which directs the VA’s community care network to create a public facing list of all providers who are in network for CHAMPVA enrollees. 

We must make this provider information accessible to caregivers and dependents of disabled veterans. The easier we make finding healthcare for our caregivers, the more time they can spend with their loved ones.