WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) announced this afternoon that he will vote to confirm Dr. David Shulkin as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs later this evening. Senator King released the following statement:

“Having worked directly with Dr. Shulkin in the past, I know that he has the best interests of Maine veterans at heart and is committed to improving health care services for them,” Senator King said. “I also believe he shares my view that the VA must remain a unique health care provider, yet be flexible enough to collaborate with the private sector to help veterans – particularly those in rural Maine – receive care closer to home and in a timely fashion. I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Shulkin to ensure that veterans across Maine and the nation can access the care they need and have earned.”

In May 2016, Dr. Shulkin, then-VA Under Secretary for Health, joined Senator King and VA Togus leadership for a tour and roundtable discussion with members of Maine’s Veteran Service Organizations focused on improving the implementation of the Choice Program.

The visit came in response to a February letter from the Maine Congressional Delegation to VA Secretary Robert MacDonald urging him to improve the implementation of the Choice Program after it was revealed in late January that its implementation had been deeply flawed, leading to more than half of eligible veterans not receiving the care they need.

The visit resulted in a provider agreement that allowed eligible veterans in northern Maine to continue to receive the medical services currently offered through the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) program.  In addition, through this agreement, veterans were also permitted access to podiatry, ophthalmology and pain management services at Cary Medical Center.

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