Whitfield Supports Measures to Improve Services for KY Veterans | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Supports Measures to Improve Services for KY Veterans September 12, 2008 WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives took further steps yesterday to improve access to quality healthcare and compensation rates for our nation's veterans. U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) supported these important measures and praised the passage of two different bills which will aid Kentucky's more than 350,000 veterans.

"Ensuring that veterans of the First Congressional District have access to world class healthcare and receive every benefit they have earned bravely serving our country has been, and continues to be, one of my top priorities in Congress," Whitfield said. "The bills passed yesterday will increase the compensation benefits paid to disabled veterans, their dependents and their survivors and set into motion a program to make healthcare services covered by the VA more accessible for veterans living in rural areas."

Whitfield supported, and the House passed, H.R. 1527, the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act and S. 2617, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living-Adjustment Act.

The Rural Veterans Access to Care Act allows veterans living in very rural areas who are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system to receive covered health services through providers other than those of the VA. The bill would launch a three-year pilot program in selected regions giving veterans in remote areas the chance to access health benefits from local non-military providers. Upon review of the pilot programs' effectiveness, additional rural areas, such as western Kentucky, could be considered for the program.

"Representing rural Kentucky in Congress, I understand the challenges many of our areas veterans' face in finding convenient access to VA healthcare services," Whitfield said. "I am excited about the new pilot program authorized by Congress and hopeful that the First Congressional District will soon reap the benefits of this important initiative. Our nation's veterans, in big cities or rural America, have earned access to quality medical care close to their homes and I will continue to fight to make this a reality."

To ensure that the compensation received by the nation's veterans is in line with current costs of living, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living-Adjustment Act would increase the rates of veterans' disability compensation, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children and dependency and life insurance compensation for surviving spouses and children beginning December 1, 2008.

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