Tester staff launches Veterans' Choice Outreach Tour to rural communities

Senator Jon Tester is sending his staff to 28 rural Montana communities to hear directly from veterans about the issues they are experiencing with the Veterans’ Choice Program.

“I want to hear directly from Montana veterans who are having issues with the Choice Program,” Tester said. “I am shipping my staff to communities across the state to work with veterans so we can fix these issues and ensure the VA delivers for the men and women who bravely served our nation.”

Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is working to increase veterans’ access to health care outside of the VA by streamlining the existing non-VA care initiatives.

Tester is also reaching out to local medical providers who are not fully participating in the Veterans’ Choice Program and are having trouble working with the VA.

Last year, Congress passed many of Tester’s provisions to improve the Veterans’ Choice Program, including changing the 40-mile rule, eliminating time restrictions on follow-up care, and increasing the number of providers that can provide non-VA care to veterans.

Senator Tester will be in Superior on Friday, February 12, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the MSU Extenstion Office located at 301 2nd Avenue East, in the Mineral County Library/Museum building. For more information contact Mineral County Hospital Patient Satisfaction representative, Monte Turner at (406) 822-5122 or www.tester.senate.gov.