From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
On Wednesday Congress voted to extend benefits to more than 142,000 patients of Veteran Affairs who live in rural areas in Alabama, reports AL.com.
The program that Congress voted on allows veterans living more than 40 miles outside of a Veteran Affairs facility to have private medical care outside of the Department of Veteran Affairs. The program was originally slated to expire in the summer of 2017.
The program, called the Veteran Affairs Choice Card, has $1 billion left in its budget and will continue until the money runs out. The Veteran Affairs Choice Card was designed for rural veterans dealing with long waiting times at VA facilities.