Will County Gazette

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) wants to make sure veterans aren't punished for the bureaucracy that holds up medical payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to a press release.

To that end, Hultgren and a bipartisan trio of his colleagues have reintroduced the Protecting Veterans Credit Act.

“Enough veterans have faced collateral damage from delays at the VA – their credit score shouldn’t be another casualty of this bureaucracy,” Hultgren said in the release. “Veterans and their families deserve accurate and timely billing and reimbursements from the VA. This legislation will ensure our veterans aren’t held responsible for bureaucratic ineptitude.”

According to the release, VA programs like Veterans Choice allow veterans to use non-VA medical facilities if they face long wait times or long commutes to reach for VA facilities. The programs have helped veterans access care but have had billing and payment issues, leading to damage to veterans' credit reports. The bill would give veterans using VA programs to receive care from private providers a one-year credit reporting grace period, providing enough time for the debts to be cleared by the VA.

“No veteran should have their financial record wrongly ruined because of someone else’s delays,” U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), who joined Hultgren on the measure's reintroduction, said in the press release. “…Republicans and Democrats are standing together on this bill and we’re going to keep working to build support. Credit reports are so impactful and I don’t think anyone believes that the current situation is right, so we’ve got to solve this problem.”