Expanding VA access for Marianas Veterans
This week, I introduced H.R. 9652, the Northern Marianas VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Authorization Act, to address a longstanding gap in veterans’ health care access in the Commonwealth. The bill authorizes up to $3.7 million for the establishment of a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), recognizing the unique construction costs and geographic challenges of providing health care infrastructure in the CNMI. The Northern Mariana Islands is the only U.S. jurisdiction without a CBOC. As a result, when care cannot be provided through Community Care, our veterans are often required to leave our islands to access VA medical services. Our veterans should not have to leave their home communities to receive the care they earned through their service. This legislation would help ensure veterans in the Northern Mariana Islands have equitable access to a dedicated VA medical facility closer to home