The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has issued a cost estimate for S. 3033, the Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act, a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee bill aimed at expanding or improving how rural veterans access Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, including through telehealth and community care options.
- Bill: S. 3033, Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act
- Status: Reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs; analyzed by CBO
- Focus: Improving access to VA care for rural veterans, including care delivery methods such as telehealth and community care
- CBO role: Provides Congress an estimate of federal budget effects (direct spending, discretionary costs, and any revenues, as applicable) tied to implementing the bill
- What to watch: Any CBO-identified impacts on VA medical spending, administrative capacity, and use of non-VA providers under community care
Key context
Rural veterans often face longer travel times and fewer nearby VA facilities, making access to appointments, specialty care, and follow-up services more difficult. Congress has increasingly leaned on two approaches to close those gaps:
- Telehealth, which can reduce travel burdens and speed up routine visits when clinically appropriate.
- Community care, which allows eligible veterans to receive care from non-VA providers under VA authorization, typically when VA cannot provide timely or geographically accessible care.
S. 3033 fits into that broader push by targeting access barriers specific to rural areas. CBO’s estimate is intended to help lawmakers understand how changes in eligibility, utilization, or delivery models could affect federal costs and VA operations.
What it means for you
For veterans enrolled in VA health care—especially those living far from VA medical centers or clinics—the practical impact of legislation like S. 3033 typically comes down to whether it:
- Expands eligibility or circumstances for using telehealth or community care,
- Improves timeliness of appointments and referrals,
- Reduces out-of-pocket travel burdens by shifting some care closer to home,
- Changes how VA manages authorizations, provider networks, or follow-up care outside VA facilities.
CBO’s analysis does not change benefits by itself, but it can shape whether Congress advances the bill and how it is implemented or amended—particularly if projected costs are significant or require new appropriations.
Source: CBO Reports