VA Watchdog Stuff
cups, hats, shirts
click here to
support the site






Be sure to get all five
VA Watchdog dot Org
RSS feeds --
Daily VA
News Flashes
House CVA
Veterans' News
Senate CVA
Veterans' News
VA Press
Releases
VSO Press
Releases

Download your
free copy of the
2008 VA benefits
handbook here...
 

Printer-Friendly Version

CALL TO ACTION: BILL WOULD GIVE DENTAL BENEFITS TO

ALL DISABLED VETS -- Have your elected Representative

support H.R. 5595 which would give dental coverage to

all vets with at least a 10% service-connected rating.

Time to get busy Brother and Sister veterans.

H.R. 5595 would give full dental benefits to any veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 10%.

It's about time!

Get hold of your Member of the House and make sure they support this bill.

If this doesn't pass...it's our fault for not pushing it.

Be sure to hit the "SHARE" button below and post this to as many places as possible so we can get the word out to the veterans' community.

(NOTE dated SUN 30 MAR 08:  Since I posted this story I have heard from a number of vets who say, "It'll never happen.  Give it up."

Remember, many said that about the proposal that would allow vets coming off deployment to get five years of VA care instead of just two years.  Critics said it was too expensive and that it would never happen.

Congress thought differently.  Now those vets have their five years because Congress passed it and has increased funding.

The same can happen with this legislation.)

We have two pieces of information.

First is a news story...and second is the bill.

Story here... http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com
/newssun/news/865372,5_1_WA28_KIRKBILL_S1.article

Story below:

-------------------------

More dental coverage sought for vets

NEWS-SUN STAFF REPORT

Veterans with service-connected disabilities would get expanded dental coverage under bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park.

The "Make Our Veterans Smile Act" (House Resolution 5595) was co-introduced by Kirk and fellow Navy Reserve intelligence officer U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Pa.

Currently, only 100 percent disabled, homeless or prisoner-of-war veterans are eligible for dental benefits. The bill, if signed into law, expands dental coverage to any service-connected disabled veteran, regardless of disability rating starting Jan. 1, 2009.

"We need to ensure that those who wore the uniform, risked their lives and sacrificed so much are appropriately cared for," Kirk said Thursday. "We won a great victory for area veterans when we saved the North Chicago VA Hospital from closing. But the commitment the government makes to help care for disabled veterans is incomplete without addressing their dental needs."

According to the Veterans Administration, 258,000 veterans currently are eligible for dental benefits. More than 2.5 million additional disabled veterans would receive coverage under the Kirk-Carney bill.

In Illinois, coverage would expand from nearly 5,000 veterans to more than 60,000 veterans, according to the Congressional Research Service.

-------------------------

Legislation is on Thomas, here... http://thomas.loc.gov/

Type in H.R. 5595.

Legislation printed below:

-------------------------

Make Our Veterans Smile Act of 2008 (Introduced in House)

HR 5595 IH

110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5595

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide dental care to veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 12, 2008

Mr. CARNEY (for himself and Mr. KIRK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide dental care to veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Make Our Veterans Smile Act of 2008'.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF DENTAL CARE BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

(a) Provision of Care- Section 1712(a)(1)(G) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking `rated as total'.

(b) Authority To Provide Care by Entering Into Contracts- Section 1703(a)(7) of such title is amended by striking `section 1712(a)(1)(F)' and inserting `section 1712(a)(1)'.

(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to outpatient dental services and treatment, and related dental appliances, furnished on or after January 1, 2009.

-------------------------

posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org

Don't forget to read all of today's VA News Flashes (click here)

Click here to make VA Watchdog dot Org your homepage

email Larry

(go back to VA Watchdog dot Org Home Page)

       
Military Medical Malpractice 
Legal Network               

VA Watchdog Stuff
cups, hats, shirts
click here to
support the site