Kiggans, Jacobs Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Medical Credentialing for Military Providers
Yesterday, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Digital Oversight of Credentials for Service Members (DOCS) Act alongside Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51). This bipartisan bill streamlines how the Department of Defense verifies licenses for military healthcare providers, ensuring they can deliver care without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Right now, military doctors, nurses, and specialists often face lengthy re-credentialing processes when they transfer—sometimes even within the same facility. These delays contribute to staffing gaps and put added strain on an already overburdened healthcare system.
“As a Navy veteran and healthcare provider, I know how frustrating and harmful these delays can be,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “The DOCS Act delivers a simple, commonsense solution: verify licenses quickly, centrally, and consistently—so our providers can do what they were trained to do: take care of our service members and their families.”
“Bureaucratic red tape shouldn’t delay military doctors and nurses from seeing and treating their patients for months,” said Congresswomen Jacobs. “But unfortunately, bottlenecks in military treatment facilities (MTFs) recredentialing – even when moving from one military facility to another – can take up to six months. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Kiggans to introduce bipartisan legislation to streamline the MTFs recredentialing process so we can protect patient safety and make patient care more efficient.”
"This commonsense legislation helps protect the value, with high quality and access, of the service-earned health care benefit -- a key to the success and stability of the all-volunteer force," Lt Gen (ret) Brian Kelly, President & CEO, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) said. "MOAA thanks Congresswoman Kiggans for championing this cause, and we look forward to working with Congress on more ways to modernize, strengthen, and support the military health care system."
You can find the full text of this bill here.
You can find a one-pager on this bill here.
Background:
- The Department of Defense employs thousands of licensed medical professionals to care for service members and their families.
- Currently, a provider’s move—even within the same base—can require redundant and lengthy re-credentialing processes.
- Inconsistent credentialing timelines contribute to workforce shortages, delayed care, and frustration among providers.
Specifically, this legislation would:
- Require the Secretary of Defense to create a centralized credentialing system for all uniformed and civilian DoD medical providers.
- Ensure that 90% of license verifications are completed within seven days of request—dramatically improving access to care.
- Allow commanding officers at any facility to verify a provider’s license, regardless of service branch or location.
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