Holding the VA Accountable For Late Payments

Many of the soldiers I served alongside suffered life-altering injuries, and now, I’m working to make sure our government fulfills its promises to them. That includes ensuring they have accessible transportation that empowers them to get where they need to go and live life to the fullest.

Inexplicably, numerous VA hospitals across the country are months behind on paying nearly $11 million in payments worth of bills for modifications made to disabled veterans’ vehicles. This is hurting both the veterans who depend on these vehicle adaptations and the small businesses that provide them. That’s why I introduced a bill to streamline the payment system and reimburse these companies efficiently. 

The Centralized Reimbursement for Upgraded Innovative Service Equipment (CRUISE) Act will consolidate payments for vehicle modifications within the VA, so individual hospitals aren’t responsible for paying the invoices. If the department can’t process a particular payment within 30 days, it must inform the dealer how many days it will take to make the payment.

Veterans depend on mobility equipment dealers to make their vehicles work for them, and the dealers deserve timely, fair compensation from the VA for their services. My CRUISE Act will make sure we are paying our bills on time, maintaining cooperation with equipment dealers, and ensuring veterans can drive or ride wherever they need to go.