HR-2137-119
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 549.
Sponsored by Morgan Luttrell (R-TX)
What it does
This bill would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from denying a veteran's benefits claim solely because the veteran did not appear for a VA-scheduled medical examination connected to that claim. The VA would still be able to consider a missed exam as one factor among others, but a no-show alone could not be the single reason for denial. The bill does not eliminate the VA's ability to require medical examinations or to deny claims on other grounds.
Who benefits
Veterans who miss VA-scheduled medical examinations due to circumstances such as transportation barriers, homelessness, mental health conditions (including PTSD), physical disability, lack of notification, or other hardships. Veterans in rural or underserved areas with limited access to VA facilities would likely benefit disproportionately. Veterans with cognitive impairments or severe service-connected conditions that make scheduling compliance difficult would also benefit. Veterans' advocacy organizations that have long sought procedural protections in the claims process would gain a statutory foothold.
Who is hurt
The VA may face increased administrative burden and costs from processing claims that previously would have been denied at an earlier stage. Taxpayers could bear higher costs if more claims proceed to full adjudication and result in benefit awards. Veterans whose claims are legitimate but whose cases are delayed because the backlog grows as more claims remain active longer may experience slower processing times. Private medical providers contracted by the VA for examinations may see scheduling and resource planning become more complex.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that denying a veteran's entire claim solely for missing one medical appointment is a disproportionate outcome that punishes veterans — many of whom have service-connected disabilities, mental health conditions, or logistical barriers — for a procedural failure rather than a lack of merit. They contend that the VA's own data has shown significant claims backlogs and inconsistent notification practices, meaning some veterans may not have received adequate notice of their appointments in the first place. Allowing a single missed exam to extinguish a claim entirely, they argue, undermines the VA's core mission to serve those who served.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that medical examinations are a critical evidentiary tool the VA uses to assess the nature and severity of claimed disabilities, and that removing the ability to deny claims for non-appearance — even as a sole basis — could incentivize non-compliance and make it harder to adjudicate claims accurately and efficiently. They contend that the existing process already allows veterans to reschedule or provide good-cause explanations, and that this bill could increase the claims backlog and administrative costs without meaningfully improving outcomes for veterans who engage with the process in good faith.