H.R. 3951, Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025

Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can contract with physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists to provide disability examinations of veterans in any location in the United States, regardless of whether the providers are licensed to practice in that jurisdiction. That authority expires on January 5, 2026. H.R. 3951 would extend the authority until January 5, 2031, and would expand the types of professionals with whom VA can contract for medical exams to any licensed health care professional. The bill also would require VA to report to the Congress on the department’s use of the expanded authority.

Expanding the types of eligible health care providers who may provide disability examinations in a jurisdiction could change which providers perform exams but would not affect the number of veterans eligible to receive VA benefits. As a result, CBO estimates that enacting the provision would not affect direct spending for disability compensation benefits.

The report required by the bill would include details on the number and type of examinations provided by contracted health care providers during the one-year period following enactment. Under current law, VA may use mandatory appropriations to pay for administrative expenses associated with contract medical exams, including reports. Based on the cost of similar reports, CBO estimates that providing the report would increase direct spending by less than $500,000.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Logan Smith. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.