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. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, 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.
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.
Kirsten Swanson Hoyt, a disabled veteran, has monoplegia paralyzing one of her legs. She said at one point, she had to drive to Togus in Augusta multiple times a week for a year for doctor visits.
"In my case, I used either my social worker who had to drive all the way out, or my CNA would take the time out of her allotted time she was allowed to take care of me just to take me to an appointment," she said.
Leaders with a local nonprofit said the change could help more veterans keep important appointments on the calendar.
"I think a big part is we're looking at appointments where you're talking physical health, mental health, emotional support all of the different things. There's a place where making sure we're getting those appointments in and that people can get to them is going to create and keep the overall veteran population in Maine in better health," Jim Martel, the president of the nonprofit Operation Ray of Light, which provides community connections and resources for veterans, said.