Tester staff launches Veterans’ Choice Outreach Tour

Senator’s staff will visit 28 Montana communities to hear from veterans struggling to access care

(Big Sandy, Mont.)-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.

You can view the list of communities where Tester’s staff will hold outreach hours by clicking here.