Sioux City Times

The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act, a measure that will allow Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare professionals to prescribe medications for veterans through telehealth services on a permanent basis. The legislation received strong support from U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull).

Feenstra emphasized the importance of telehealth for veterans in rural areas, stating, “Telehealth is a vital lifeline for our veterans, especially those living in rural Iowa, to get the prescriptions and care that they need. Without reliable telehealth services, too many veterans would be forced to travel long distances for medical appointments or forgo seeing the doctor entirely. That’s unacceptable, and it’s a threat to the health and wellbeing of our fellow Iowans who made incredible sacrifices to serve our country,” said Rep. Feenstra.

He added, “It’s why I supported passage of legislation to permanently authorize VA healthcare providers to prescribe medications for veterans via telehealth. There is no reason that veterans should be denied the care that they deserve because of where they live or unnecessary government red tape.”

Rep. Feenstra has represented Iowa's 4th District in Congress since 2021 after succeeding Steve King and previously served in the Iowa Senate from 2009 until his election to Congress. He was born in Hull, Iowa in 1969 and graduated from Dordt University with a BA in 1991.