The House Committee on Veterans Affairs passed the VA Mission Act May 8, which would expand the number of veterans eligible to access private care, according to The Hill.
The bill, which passed 20 votes to 2, would allow veterans greater access to private specialists as well as two private primary care visits per year without a copay. It would also provide $5.2 billion for the VA Choice Program, which is set to run out of funding by May 31.
The VA Choice funding would be moved from mandatory spending to discretionary spending, which would not protect it from potential sequestration cuts.
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who was one of two committee members to oppose the bill, said the legislation "lacks a sustainable source of funding to ensure that care is provided and protected in the long term," according to The Hill.