H.R. 4089 – To improve the collective bargaining rights and procedures for review of adverse actions of certain employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Filner)

H.R. 4463 – Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act (Costello)

H.R. 5888 – To expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility (Filner)

H.R. 6114 – Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus of 2008 (Doyle)

H.R. 6122 – Veterans Pain Care Act of 2008 (Walz)

Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, provided testimony on H.R. 5888: "There is a loophole in current law that allows the VA to deny payment for non-service connected emergency services for veterans with insurance policies – IF that policy pays for any percentage of the cost of care. I introduced H.R. 5888 to eliminate this inequity by requiring the VA to pay for emergency care in non-VA facilities for eligible veterans unless the veteran has other insurance that will pay for the FULL COST of the emergency care. I believe it is time to close this loophole that hurts our veterans."

Witness List:

Panel 1

The Honorable Bob Filner, California, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Michael F. Doyle, Pennsylvania, U.S. House of Representatives
, Pennsylvania, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Timothy J. Walz, Minnesota, U.S. House of Representatives
, Minnesota, U.S. House of Representatives
, California, U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania, U.S. House of Representatives, Minnesota, U.S. House of Representatives

Panel 2

Gerald M. Cross, MD, FAAFP, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Accompanied by:

o Walter A. Hall, Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
o Assistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Kathryn Enchelmayer, Director, Quality of Standards, Office of Quality and Performance, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Director, Quality of Standards, Office of Quality and Performance, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsAssistant General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsDirector, Quality of Standards, Office of Quality and Performance, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Prepared testimony for the legislative hearing is available on the internet at this link: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=254.