Pass the CAREERS Act to support VA clinicians
Recommendation
Congress should pass the VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act.
Background/summary
Workforce challenges are persistent across hospitals and other health-based service providers, including the Department of Veterans Affairs; these challenges require creative and sustained solutions to recruit and retain healthcare professionals to serve one of the largest and most vulnerable populations: veterans. The VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act would help alleviate these workforce challenges by improving reimbursement eligibility for continuing education, providing support for licensure exam costs, and revising the pay system for physicians. The CAREERS Act would help address vacancies in the VA hospital system with transparency and timeliness. We cannot let veterans continue to be underserved in the VA hospital system. Congress should pass the CAREERS Act to provide needed resources to VA health providers.
citations
- VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act of 2023. S. 10 (Tester), 118th Congress (2023-2024). Last updated February 16, 2023.
- U.S. Senator John Boozman. “Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Boozman-Backed Bill to Bolster Recruitment and Retention of VA Workforce.” Last updated February 16, 2023.
- “Bolstering Care for Veterans Aim of Bipartisan Tester, Boozman Bill.” U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Last updated January 24, 2023.