Representative King Hines presented the Veterans Health Desert Reform Act of 2025, a discussion draft to pilot VA partnerships with non-VA hospitals in areas the sponsor termed "health deserts" where no VA facility is reasonably accessible. The bill aims to allow veterans to receive community care equivalent to VA care and emphasizes telehealth, mail-order pharmacy and beneficiary travel.

VA witnesses supported the goal of improving access in rural and remote areas but told the committee the bill as written "appears to create no new authority" to accomplish its aims. VA officials also highlighted the Office of Rural Health's existing work identifying access gaps and stressed that pilot design must address credentialing, continuity of record exchange, and cost-effectiveness.

The American Psychological Association and Wounded Warrior Project both urged that any pilot include mandatory training, accreditation requirements for participating hospitals, timely medical-record exchange with VA, and explicit quality and outcome measurement so pilots add capacity rather than divert resources from VA direct care.

Members pressed for caps on funding, clearer eligibility criteria for pilot hospitals (for-profit/private-equity concerns were raised), and documentation of demonstrated wait-time or drive-time problems before a pilot would apply. The subcommittee did not adopt a final text; members and witnesses agreed to continue refining oversight and eligibility provisions.