Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) has introduced new legislation aimed at improving access to health care and benefits for veterans living in rural areas. The Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act seeks to make permanent the ability for veterans in these communities to receive required disability claim examinations from certified health care providers, regardless of state boundaries.
“Our veterans put their safety and lives on the line to protect our nation and freedoms, and we owe them a great debt. This bipartisan bill, which has already passed the House, will deliver rapid access to the care veterans in rural areas need and have earned. We need to fight for those who fought for us,” said Husted.
Currently, under the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, certain health professionals—such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists—are allowed temporary authority to conduct these exams across state lines. This provision is set to expire in January 2026.
The proposed legislation would not only extend this cross-state practice authority through January 5, 2031 but also broaden it to include additional types of health care professionals eligible to perform these examinations.
The bill previously passed the House of Representatives on September 15, 2025. Full text of the legislation can be accessed here.
