United States Senator Jay Rockefeller for West Virginia
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Press Room: Press Releases

November 19, 1999

ROCKEFELLER ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE BILL TO IMPROVE VETERANS' BENEFITS PASSES CONGRESS

-- Congress Also Approves Separate Cost-of-living Increase Bill for Veterans' Benefits --

 WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, announced today that Congress has agreed to legislation that takes important steps to improve benefits for veterans. The Veterans Millennium Benefits and Health Care Act of 1999 (H.R. 2116) has been passed by the House and Senate, and now goes to the President for his signature.

     Rockefeller said, "Congress has taken a bold step in passing this comprehensive bill which makes sweeping changes to a wide-range of veterans' benefits and services. We have tackled issues that are terribly important to West Virginia veterans -- from long-term care to new educational benefits for servicemembers. I am confident that this legislation will make a real difference in the lives of West Virginians who have served our country."

     Long-Term Care

     "As people live longer, there is an expanding need for long-term care in our country, and in the VA, we face an even more pressing demand," Rockefeller said. "About 35 percent of the veteran population is 65 years or older, and that number will grow dramatically in the next few years. I have been resolute in insisting that expansion of VA's long-term care services be a cornerstone of this bill."

     The legislation, which is similar to a bill Rockefeller introduced earlier this year, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a wide range of extended care services — such as home health care, adult day care, respite care and hospice care — to all veterans who use the VA health care system. The bill also directs the VA to provide nursing home care for veterans whose disabilities are most severe. Under the bill, the program will be reviewed in four years to see if it is meeting the needs of veterans.

     Emergency Care Services

     This portion of the legislation, also based on legislation Rockefeller cosponsored earlier this year, would authorize the VA to reimburse non-VA facilities for emergency care provided to veterans who are enrolled with the VA for their health care, provided the veteran has received VA care within a two-year period prior to the emergency and has no other health insurance options

     Specialized Mental Health Services

     The legislation provides $15 million in grant funding to be made available for programs to enhance VA's specialized mental health services. The bill specifically targets services for those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders.

     Other Benefits Include:

 

  •      Waiving copayments for military retirees who come to VA for their health care. VA and the Department of Defense would develop an interagency agreement for TriCare to pay VA. Gives expanded options for military retirees.

     

  •      Extending the VA's program to evaluate the health of spouses and children of Gulf War veterans for four years.

     

  •      Providing higher priority for health care to veterans who receive the Purple Heart award.

     

  •      Reinstating ancillary benefits (CHAMPVA, educational benefits, and home loan guaranty) for remarried surviving spouses of veterans upon the termination of the remarriage.

     

  •      Authorizing the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) to pay for preparatory courses for admission examinations to college and graduate school (e.g., SAT, GRE, etc).

     

  •      Authorizing a loan to begin building a World War II Memorial on the mall in Washington, DC.

     

         Rockefeller said, "Providing health care and other benefits for veterans is a top priority for me. We owe the men and women who served in our armed forces and sacrificed for our country the best health care and benefits available. This legislation takes several important and necessary steps to make sure these veterans receive the care they need and deserve."

         In a separate bill, Congress authorized a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in veterans' benefits equal to the COLA granted to Social Security recipients and military retirees. The COLA -- a 2.4 percent increase this year -- will be reflected in the January benefits check.

     

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