Senator Marco Rubio (R) is trying to ensure that only licensed health care providers are designated to conduct medical disability examinations (MDEs) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
In a bipartisan proposal introduced by the South Florida Republican to crack down on unlicensed VA doctors, the legislation would “prohibit contract health care providers who have had their licenses revoked in any state from carrying out MDEs on behalf of the VA.” In addition, the legislation also calls for the VA secretary to make sure that “only licensed health care providers are conducting MDEs.” Finally, an annual report would have to be provided to Congress to ensure that veterans are receiving the adequate care that they deserve.
To make sure that all of these demands are follow through, Senator Rubio teamed up with Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D) to unveil the “Better Examiner Standards and Transparency for Veterans Act (BEST for VETS Act) after being informed of reports of physicians who had their medical licenses revoked but still conducted MDEs for the VA.