WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released a statement following President Joe Biden signing into law Cassidy’s bill to ensure quality podiatry care is offered at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and VA podiatrists are compensated fairly and at rates comparable to podiatrists in private practice or other government programs. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) co-led the bill.
“As a doctor, my first priority is the patient,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Veterans across Louisiana and our country should have access to the best possible services and treatment. This new law ensures the VA can recruit quality doctors and provide the best care possible.”
Background
In 2018, President Donald Trump signed the VA Mission Act into law. Included in this bill was a Cassidy-led provision to recognize podiatrists as physicians within the VA and allow the VA to hire and maintain well-qualified, board-certified podiatrists in order to ensure veterans receive quality podiatric care. Prior to the VA Mission Act, the VA had serious recruitment and retention problems because its podiatric compensation package had not been updated since 1976. However, as the VA Mission Act is currently implemented, additional clarification is needed to help retain podiatrists at the VA. Cassidy’s bill, now law, ensures that the podiatry department can attract and recruit new podiatrists while ensuring parity for podiatrists at the VA.
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