The Mid-Atlantic Regional Group
Blinded Veterans Association
Legislative News
June 24, 2009
Below is the big Press Release from Chairman Filner and this is one of our BVA Resolutions that is now being completed and moving for vote in Senate this next month.
The Veteran Service Organizations Partnership for Health Care Reform has struggled for nine plus years to get Mandatory Funding, and it would not move. In less than one year, the “Advanced Funding” legislation has been successfully navigated through both the house and senate VA committees, the appropriations committees, and now full vote on house floor! For future this would mean that each year on October 1st the VA would have its medical budget on time and not be subject to delays with continuing resolutions and gamesmanship that has plagued the health care funding for 19 out of the past 21 years.
House Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care
Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said, “Today, this House of Representatives took action to respond to years of chronic underfunding of VA medical care. Over the last 22 years, 19 VA budgets have been passed late – and our veterans pay the price with fewer doctors, longer waiting times, and more restricted access for the 6 million veterans using VA health care. Members of the Committee have worked closely with veteran service organizations to pass this landmark bill and guarantee that our veterans have access to comprehensive, quality health care.”
H.R. 1016 would authorize Congress to approve Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year. An advance appropriation would provide VA with up to one year in which to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions. Unlike proposals to convert VA health care to a mandatory funding program, an advance appropriation does not create PAYGO concerns since VA health care funding would remain discretionary. Congress employs a PAYGO rule which demands that new proposals must either be budget neutral or offset with savings derived from existing funds.
Additionally, VA will be required to detail estimates in the budget documents it submits annually to Congress. Each July, the VA will be required to report to Congress if it has the resources it needs for the upcoming fiscal year in order for Congress to address any funding imbalances. This will help to safeguard against the VA facing budget shortfalls such as it faced just a few years ago.
Reform of the method in which the VA health care system is funded continues to be a top legislative priority for many veteran service organizations. In a letter sent by eleven veteran service organizations to Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, a vote for H.R. 1016 “will be among the most important for veterans and their families that the Committee will take this year.” Representatives of these groups offered testimony in support of advance appropriations at a recent Committee hearing which focused on funding the VA of the future.
Disabled American Veterans National Commander Raymond E. Dempsey said, “Today’s House approval of Chairman Filner’s advance appropriations legislation is a major step towards finally fixing the VA health care funding system, and ensuring that veterans receive the medical services they need and deserve. DAV is grateful to Chairman Filner for working with the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform in developing H.R. 1016 and for successfully moving it through the Committee and onto the House floor.”
Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced a companion bill in the Senate, S. 423.
At same time, Chairman Akaka (D HI) sent out this release about the COLA for this year.
VETERANS COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT LEGISLATION SENT TO WHITE HOUSE
“Millions of disabled veterans and their survivors rely on monthly compensation, and the value of their payments should be protected from potential inflation,” said Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), author of the bill.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to measure inflation. In the event that the CPI increases, S. 407 would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of:
· Veterans’ disability compensation,
· Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children, and
· Additional related benefits.
The cost of living adjustment (COLA) is designed to offset inflation. If the CPI increases, COLA for the above-mentioned benefits would match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients. This year’s COLA rate has not been determined, and some predict that the CPI will decrease this year. In the event of a decrease in the CPI, veteran and survivor compensation will remain at last year’s rate.
For more information on the Consumer Price Index, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website, www.bls.gov/cpi.
Things here are moving quickly, the MILCON VA FY 2010 subcommittee appropriations vote yesterday occurred with historic increase in the medical budget for VHA for FY 2010.
Tom Zampieri
Director Government Relations
Blinded Veterans Association
End of Document