OPINION:
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is home to a multitude of rural communities, with veterans in every county. From Sierra Vista to Safford and Casa Grande, our rural veterans deserve to have the care and resources they need, regardless of their location.
We know that individuals living farther away from medical services bear a greater burden of health care needs and often have worse health outcomes, meaning accessing their earned benefits become all the more important. That is why earlier this year, I was proud to push through my legislation, H.R. 3951, the Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025, which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support – a key step forward in providing necessary care and benefits for our veterans, which should never be a partisan issue.
Our veterans made a sacrifice, many times uprooting their lives, to serve our country and protect our freedoms. As a member of Congress, it is my priority to ensure our past service members have the utmost access to high-quality care and the well-deserved benefits they have earned.
H.R. 3951 aims to ensure rural veterans have access to quality and timely physician examinations by permanently allowing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers to perform cross-state disability exams and expanding the pool of providers who can perform medical disability examinations for the VA to include all licensed health care professionals. Currently, VA providers authorized to perform cross-state exams are limited to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists.
This bill additionally requires the VA to modernize its benefits exam process by establishing a mechanism for providers to submit evidence that a veteran brings with them to the examination to the VA, a process which is currently not in place and can significantly delay their benefits approval. These changes will help to address the shortage of qualified examiners in rural areas, thereby reducing wait times and increasing the timely release of benefits to our veterans.
Since I was sworn in to Congress in 2022, I have served on the House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee and have championed the nearly 80,000 veterans who call my district home. There should be no red tape in the disability claims process and all veterans, particularly rural veterans, should be able to see the closest provider for their disability claims exams, whether that’s across the county, across the state, or across the street.
I have witnessed firsthand the challenges rural veterans in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District face in getting their medical exams completed in a timely manner. This bill takes an essential first step toward eliminating these regional healthcare disparities and ensuring that all veterans receive quality and timely care.
As a nation, we owe these brave men and women a tremendous debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and service. Caring for our veterans is not a responsibility I take lightly, and as a voice in Congress, I will never stop working to ensure those who wore and continue to wear the uniform receive the benefits and support they rightfully earned.
Whether it’s advocating for comprehensive healthcare, access to mental health support, additional job opportunities, or housing, know that in me, you have a steadfast champion.
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani represents Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. He serves on the House Appropriations and Veterans Affairs Committees.
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