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REPUBLICAN PRESS RELEASE
September 25, 2008
-------------------------
House Approves Omnibus Measures for
Veterans’ Health Care & Benefits As 110th Congress Nears End
For more information, contact: Brian Lawrence, (202) 225-3527
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday in an evening session in the House of
Representatives, Congressman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), the Ranking Republican
Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, helped oversee the passage
of two comprehensive veterans’ bills and a third stand alone bill that
would increase the special pension for Medal of Honor recipients.
Representative Buyer led the Republican effort throughout the legislative
process and during negotiations with the majority party in both the House
and Senate to combine a number of measures into two strong bipartisan
bills. S. 2162, as amended, the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care
Improvements Act of 2008; S. 3023, as amended, the Veterans’ Benefits
Improvement Act of 2008; and H.R. 6980, to amend title 38, United States
Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the
amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by
up to $1,000; all passed unanimously by voice vote, and now await action
in the Senate. Collectively, the legislation encompasses over a hundred
provisions from twenty-six House and Senate passed bill to improve
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) health care and benefits.
Buyer noted that these comprehensive, bipartisan bills include an array of
substantive initiatives that include the following highlights:
“S. 2162, as amended, would enhance VA substance-use disorder and mental
health programs,” Buyer said. “A full continuum of care for substance-use
disorder will enable at-risk veterans to obtain care and overcome the
stigma that may prevent them from seeking the services they need. The bill
would also establish a pilot program to allow veterans in certain highly
rural areas to obtain care from their local community providers. This
provision originated from legislation introduced by my good friend and
long-time Member of the Committee, Jerry Moran of Kansas. Jerry has been
an unfailing champion of rural veterans and I applaud him for his hard
work and dedication to this cause.”
 “I
am pleased that this bill includes a measure I introduced in H.R. 6366, to
help VA secure collections from third-party insurance companies.
Specifically, it would require VA to establish seven Consolidated Patient
Accounting Centers or CPACs modeled after successful pilot program that
enhanced VA revenue by more than $12.5 million in fiscal year 2007 and
more than $22 million over and above the goal as of August for fiscal year
2008. Having VA secure hundreds of millions of dollars that currently go
uncollected will go a long way in improving veterans’ health care.”
“S. 3023, as amended, would begin a 20-year study of veterans who
participate in VA’s vocational rehabilitation program, and increase the
amount of time to 20 years that spouses, of deceased or totally disabled
veterans, have to use VA education benefits. The bill expands several
protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and clarifies VA’s
authority to purchase advertising as part of its outreach efforts.”
“One of the most exciting parts of this bill would authorize a new program
at VA to promote increased participation by disabled veterans in adaptive
sports.The US Paralympic Team that competed in the Beijing included
thirteen disabled veterans; several of whom were wounded in the war on
Terror. These spectacular Americans are the wave of a future when disabled
veterans competing with artificial limbs or spinal cord dysfunction will
be commonplace.”
“S. 3023 will also enhance and improve veterans’ benefits and the system
that administers them. Such provisions include measures to increase the
accuracy and timeliness of benefits claims decisions and to enhance VA’s
use of information technology. It would also look at VA disability
compensation to ensure due consideration is afforded to veterans for their
loss of earnings and quality of life, and it would allow substitution upon
death of a claimant for purposes of acquiring accrued benefits. This
provision would relieve survivors of deceased claimants the frustration
and time consuming process of starting the entire claims process over from
square one. S. 3023, as amended, would create a VA Office of Survivor’s
Assistance to ensure surviving dependents have access to benefits and
services, and H.R. 6980 would increase the rate of the Medal of Honor
special pension by up to $1,000, subject to appropriations.”
“I would like to conclude by mentioning a notable provision that would
designate the spinal cord injury center at the VA medical center in Tampa,
Florida, as the ‘Michael Bilirakis Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal
Cord Injury Center.’ Congressman Bilirakis is himself a veteran who served
on our Committee for twenty-four years from 1983 to 2007, during which
time, he fought for Concurrent Receipt, Survivor Benefit Plan improvements
for the widows of military retirees, Benefits and Healthcare for former
Prisoners-of-War, and Hospice Care for Veterans.”
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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