Bipartisan efforts to increase transparency and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs has led to the introduction of Senate bills to complement U.S. Representative Lisa McLain’ s Patient Advocate Tracker.
McLain, a Republican representing Michigan’s 10th District, which includes most of the Thumb Region, said, “The Patient Advocate Tracker Act is commonsense legislation that will make the VA more transparent and cause less frustrations for our veterans. Veterans deserve the best healthcare possible, and when they receive subpar care, they need to be able to easily report complaints to their patient advocate, track it and get the best outcome possible. This bill will simplify the process and help them track their complaint.”
McLain’s bill was introduced in late October and is awaiting being sent to committee.
A companion Senate bill has been sponsored by Republican John Kennedy of Louisiana and Democrat Raphael Warnock of Georgia. The bills are meant to fast-track getting care concerns to the right person and eliminate the delays to advocacy due to unnecessary bureaucracy in the Veterans Administration.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
