Filner Bill Allows Elderly Veterans to Use Their Earned Medicare Dollars for VA Health Care

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Group

Blinded Veterans Association

Legislative News

August 5, 2009

From Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee office today, is news about introduction of legislation to allow VA to charge Medicare for some medical care that veterans receive. For years the various veteran service organizations have asked why when the VA medical system struggles with health care budgets, the VA can not charge Medicare for services, since the usual rates charged by VA are lower than what Medicare would have to pay for private hospital care, it would make it easier for the veteran who is not service connected to utilize the VA system, for medical care, and be less costly for Medicare program. Previous attempts at this have often failed, and there will be confusion and resistance to this legislation for sure.

Filner Bill Allows Elderly Veterans to Use Their Earned Medicare Dollars for VA Health Care

Washington, D.C. – Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Bob Filner introduced H.R. 3365 to allow veterans to use their earned Medicare benefits to receive health care and services from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Under current law, VA has the authority to bill enrolled veterans and their private health care insurers for the treatment of veterans’ non-service-connected conditions. Current law, however, prohibits the billing of Medicare, barring elderly veterans from using their earned Medicare benefits at VA health care facilities. H.R. 3365, the Medicare Reimbursement Act of 2009, would require VA to develop a program that would allow VA to bill Medicare for services rendered to veterans enrolled in Medicare Part A or B.

“There are veterans who have earned VA health care benefits with their service to our country,” stated Chairman Filner. “They have also earned Medicare benefits by contributing to the Medicare program during their working years. Because VA cannot bill Medicare, elderly veterans are unable to use their Medicare benefits, even if they may prefer to receive care at a VA facility among their fellow veterans. So for those veterans, they basically forgo the hard-earned dollars that they contributed towards Medicare benefits during their working years. H.R. 3365 is an important bill that would allow elderly veterans to access both VA health care and their Medicare benefits.”

Also the Ranking member on House VA Committee, Congressman Steve Buyer has introduced a new piece of legislation that would increase VA payments for severely disabled veterans in Aid and Attendance for both service connected and non-service connected, would make other changes for severely burned veterans, and BVA supports this piece of legislation.

Severely Injured Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

HR 3407 IH

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3407

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to benefits for severely injured veterans, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 30, 2009

Mr. BUYER (for himself, Mr. MICHAUD, and Mr. BROWN of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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A BILL

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 `Severely Injured Veterans Benefit Improvement Act of 2009'.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATE OF SPECIAL MONTHLY COMPENSATION FOR SEVERELY INJURED VETERANS.

Section 1114(r) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking `$1,893' and inserting `$2,840'; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking `$2,820' and inserting `4,230'.

SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF DISABLED VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH SEVERE BURN INJURIES FOR AUTOMOBILES AND ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Would include severely burned in section for automobile and adaptive equipment section.

SEC. 4. INCREASE IN NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY PENSION FOR CERTAIN VETERANS OF A PERIOD OF WAR.

Section 1521(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking `$4,340' and inserting `4,774'; and

(2) by striking `$5,441' and inserting `$5,985'.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY FOR AID AND ATTENDANCE BENEFITS.

Section 1114(o) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after `prosthetic appliances,' the following: `or if the veteran has suffered traumatic brain injury,'.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO INCREASE MEDAL OF HONOR SPECIAL PENSION.

(a) Authority To Increase Rate for MOH to $ 2,000 per month.

Tom Zampieri

Director Government Relations

Blinded Veterans Association

BVA's Legislative Alerts Group

End of Document

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