NE Atlanta News

Last week, Congressman Rich McCormick introduced two legislative bills aimed at improving healthcare access and reducing costs for servicemembers and veterans. The Servicemember Site-Neutrality Act and the Veterans Site-Neutrality Act are designed to implement site-neutral payment policies, which could lead to significant savings in taxpayer dollars.

Congressman McCormick emphasized his commitment to supporting servicemembers and veterans, stating, "As a Marine pilot and Navy doctor, taking care of our servicemembers and veterans is one of my top priorities. Our servicemembers work each day to defend our freedom and I will always fight to support them."

The Servicemember Site-Neutrality Act (H.R. 873) focuses on TRICARE plans by encouraging outpatient settings over inpatient hospitals when possible. This approach aims to reduce reimbursement costs by paying providers at lower outpatient rates.

Similarly, the Veterans Site-Neutrality Act (H.R. 874) targets the Department of Veterans Affairs' Community Care program. It seeks to prevent overpayment for medical services by adopting a policy that favors outpatient rates.

Nathan Anderson from Concerned Veterans for America supports these reforms: “Service members & Veterans, like their civilian neighbors, deserve access to quality and affordable health care options." He believes that site-neutral payment reform would enhance healthcare competition and expand treatment options while lowering taxpayer costs.

Dean Clancy from Americans for Prosperity also praised the proposals: “We applaud you, Congressman McCormick, on penning a pair of commonsense proposals that will save money for our nation's veterans and service members." He highlighted the potential reduction in out-of-pocket medical costs as a benefit of these bills.

Both organizations have expressed their intention to support these initiatives actively.