Congresswoman Lois Frankel issued the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that veterans who have treatment delays of 30 days or more will have the option to seek private care. 

"Expanding veteran care to private providers in order to prevent delays in treatment is a step in the right direction. Our returning heroes deserve the very best in health care without long waits for attention," Frankel said.

The Palm Beach VA has been outsourcing care to private care providers in cases where needed specialty doctors are not on staff.   The Broward County clinic outsources similar cases to the Miami VA, which also will send patients to private care providers as needed.  The national policy change will allow the local facilities to expand on this practice and accelerate care for veterans.

There are more than 54,000 civilian veterans living in FL-22 in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, and veterans make up over 10% of Florida’s population.  Congresswoman Frankel is the mother of an Iraq and Afghanistan U.S. Marine war veteran.