WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Many veterans in rural parts of Maine and the country struggle to get the health care they need simply because they can't find a ride. To address that problem, Senator Susan Collins is among a group of lawmakers backing a bill to help veterans access transportation.
The bipartisan bill would expand access to the Veterans Administration's Highly Rural Transportation Grant Program, which provides counties with funding to help veterans with transportation costs.
Currently in Maine, Piscataquis County is the only county eligible for the program because it's limited to counties with fewer than seven people-per-square mile, according to the VA. In a press release, Collins' office said the bill would adjust what the VA considers to be "rural" to include more counties in Maine and across the nation.
