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Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The START Act of 2025, introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Miller-Meeks, would clarify when a referral for care under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Program remains valid. Specifically, it adds a new provision to 38 U.S.C. 1703(a)(2) stating that the period during which a referral to a non-VA provider is valid begins on the day the veteran has their first appointment with that non-VA provider. In short, the bill aims to standardize the starting point for how long a VA-referred community care referral can be used, potentially reducing ambiguity for veterans, VA staff, and non-VA providers.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act is officially named the Standardizing Treatment and Referral Times Act of 2025, or the START Act of 2025.
- 2Targeted change: Amends 38 U.S.C. 1703(a)(2) to add a new subparagraph clarifying the validity period of referrals.
- 3Start of validity: The referral’s valid period begins on the day the veteran has their first appointment with the non-VA (community) provider.
- 4Scope: Applies to referrals made by VA health care providers to non-Department (non-VA) providers for care or services under the Community Care Program.
- 5Legislative status: Introduced in the House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; sponsor identified as Rep. Miller-Meeks.
Impact Areas
Primary affected: Veterans who receive care through the VA Community Care Program and the VA health care providers who issue referrals.Secondary affected: Non-VA (community) health care providers and the VA administrative processes that manage community care referrals and reimbursements.Additional impacts: Could reduce scheduling and billing ambiguity by aligning the referral validity window with the veteran’s first non-VA appointment, potentially affecting timelines for authorization, eligibility checks, and reimbursement workflows. The bill does not specify the duration of the validity period beyond its start date, nor does it address extensions or exceptions within this excerpt.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025