Press Releases

VA Provider Equity Act, H.R. 3016

In another step towards reforming the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to reduce wait times and increase quality of care, doctors on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee introduced the bi-partisan VA Provider Equity Act to increase access to care for millions of veterans by moving podiatrists into the Physician and Dentist pay schedules within VHA. Led by Congressman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), who served as a combat surgeon in Iraq, the legislation would fix long-standing disparities between VA podiatrists and other specialty care physicians, enabling the VA to better recruit and retain experienced podiatrists.  

Veterans face increasing numbers of foot and ankle ailments, including diabetic-related complications, peripheral neuropathy often linked to Agent Orange exposure, orthopedic maladies, and vascular compromise, with 1.8 million veterans at risk of amputation. Currently, more than two-thirds of new podiatry patients wait longer than 30 days for an appointment and the VA predicts “utilization of VA podiatric services is projected to increase by an estimated 170,000 appointments.”

Veterans’ organizations, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the American Legion support the legislation to address the growing complications and ongoing care required for foot and ankle injuries and conditions. Explaining his group’s support, Mathew Miller, Chief Policy Officer for IAVA, said the legislation’s “enactment will serve to attract top medical talent to the VA and ensure our veterans are getting the best care our nation can offer."

“Increased injury from IEDs in the last decade of war highlights a unique need our veteran population faces over the next decades: lower extremity care. The VA must have the tools to provide consistent and timely health care to our veterans and to attract high quality providers across all specialties, podiatry included,” said Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the legislation’s sponsor.

In a May VA Subcommittee on Health hearing, Chairman Dan Benishek noted, “At the VA I worked at, the podiatrist was one of the busiest providers at the surgery clinic. They had a hard time keeping the podiatrist there long enough to do all the work he had to do.” Witness Dr. Nichol Salvo highlighted the significant pay disparity podiatrists face ranging upwards of $100,000 compared to other specialists, leading to high turnover and long gaps. The VA Provider Equity Act is scheduled for a legislative hearing on July 14.

 

Original Cosponsors:
Rep. Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH)
Rep. Dan Benishek, M.D., (R-MI), Chairman, HVAC Subcommittee on Health
Rep. Julia Brownley, (D-CA), Ranking Member, HVAC Subcommittee on Health
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN)
Rep. Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-LA)
Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA)

Support of Veteran Service Organizations:
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA)

"In order to continue to offer the highest quality healthcare to our nation's veterans VA must remain competitive with the private sector in attracting the best medical candidates to its workforce. The VA Provider Equity Act bolsters recruitment of qualified and talented podiatrists by elevating the fee schedule for these professionals to match compensation of other doctors working within the Department. IAVA is proud to support this legislation and believe its enactment will serve to attract top medical talent to the VA and ensure our veterans are getting the best care our nation can offer."   - Matthew Miller, IAVA Chief Policy Officer

Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

"The number one problem being reported by veterans of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan is musculoskeletal injuries, many of which are being treated in VA by podiatrists. VA podiatrists are highly specialized surgeons who play critical role in the overall comprehensive care of America’s veterans, managing care and treatment of foot and ankle injuries and diseases both for acutely injured and ill veterans and those in old age. DAV believes these practitioners’ status should be commensurate with other physicians in VA. This change in law would be consistent with a DAV national resolution approved by our 1.2 million members.  Therefore, DAV supports this legislation, urges its passage, and thanks Dr. Wenstrup for his leadership in introducing this bill." - National Commander, Ron F. Hope.

The American Legion

"On behalf of over 2 million members of The American Legion, I would like to express our support for the VA Provider Equity Act. This legislation, as written would address the recruitment and retention challenges that the Department of Veterans Affairs has regarding pay disparities among those physicians who are providing direct health care to our nation's veterans. This bill would specifically place podiatrists within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on the same pay schedule as VA physicians and provide them the same promotional and leadership opportunities they often hold in the private sector healthcare systems. By doing this VA will be able to attract and retain more experiences podiatrists to treat our nation's veterans.

"One of the areas VA consistently struggles with is recruiting and retention of certain health care providers to include podiatrists. This change would put a podiatrist in the same classification as all other physicians, which would assist VA in recruiting and retaining qualified podiatrists to treat those veterans suffering with lower extremity issues." - National Commander, Michael D. Helm

HVAC Health Subcommittee Testimony on Podiatric Disparities in the VA (5/15/15)