House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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Washington, D.C. — Today, the Subcommittee on Health held a markup on six veteran health care bills: H.R. 1527 as amended, H.R. 6114, H.R. 6122, H.R. 6366, H.R. 6439, and H.R. 6445.  The bills were forwarded to the Full Committee by voice vote. 

“We have consistently worked in a bipartisan manner to move legislation to the Full Committee to improve the delivery of health care for our nation’s veterans,” Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) said. “I am pleased to say that this tradition continues with the six bills before us today.”

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to legislation he introduced, H.R. 1527, the Rural Veterans’ Access to Care Act. The amendment would establish a three-year pilot program to allow veterans residing in certain highly rural areas to receive health care services in non-VA facilities.

“Despite our best efforts, the reality is that some veterans live in remote areas beyond the VA’s ability to construct medical facilities to care for them,” Moran said. “This legislation will provide the most underserved, highly rural veterans the choice to receive care closer to home at a local hospital or physician’s office rather than traveling hours to VA facilities.”  

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.), Ranking Member of the Full Committee, commended the Subcommittee for approving H.R. 6366, the Veterans’ Revenue Enhancement Act of 2008.

“I, along with the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member, introduced the bipartisan Veterans’ Revenue Enhancement Act of 2008 to help VA better manage third-party collections, and provide additional fiscal responsibility for the department,” Buyer said. “The Consolidated Patient Accounting Center was established as a demonstration project in 2005. It proved to be very successful in enhancing revenue by more than $12.5 million in fiscal year 2007 and $6.5 million so far in fiscal year 2008. Building on this success, would enable VA to secure hundreds of millions of dollars that currently go uncollected. These funds could be used to further improve veterans’ health care.”
 

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