Veterans of northern Michigan spoke out against having to drive long distances for medical care at a hearing on Wednesday in Traverse City.
Veterans are often required to drive to Saginaw – or Ann Arbor – to visit doctors at Veterans Affairs medical centers. But that could soon change for many in the area because of a new federal law.
Fred Kiogima is Chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and a Marine Corps veteran.
"When you got to go down [to Saginaw] for a half hour appointment and you're going to spend ten hours on the road that day, it's very cumbersome for somebody that's 80-years old," Kiogima says.
It can be even tougher for disabled veterans. Kiogima wants to see the program more localized – and that's what may happen.
President Obama signed a bill earlier this month reforming parts of the veterans health care system. Veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA health care provider can now request to see a local doctor instead.
Representative Dan Benishek (R-MI), who led the hearing in Traverse City along with Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA), says the law should improve access to more local care.
"We're going to have to stay on top of the VA to make sure that they implement it properly," Benishek says.
The VA was accused earlier this year of covering up long wait timesthat veterans faced at hospitals in Phoenix and other cities.