The Republican majority in Congress is working to honor the commitment to those who defended our country and meet the growing needs of our veterans’ community. Since 1996, the number of veterans treated by VA physicians have risen from 2.7 million to 5 million. The pool of veterans eligible for VA services was dramatically increased by the Veterans’ Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (P.L.106-117). With the Republican majority, the House increased funding for veterans' programs by 94% since 1995.
What is the status of the new veterans hospital in Orlando?
Despite best efforts by the VA to provide comprehensive health care services to aging veterans on a timely and convenient manner, veterans in the Central Florida region are faced with long wait times and inadequate access to VA medical resources.
For too long, veterans have been forced to travel to distant VA facilities as far as Tampa to receive specialized care and rehabilitation treatment services. Eligible United States veterans and their loved ones suffering from critical health ailments should not be forced to wait or travel inordinate distances for medical services. These services must be provided in facilities close to their residence.
In 2004, the Department of Veterans Affairs completed its nationwide study of its current facilities and recognized Central Florida as the highest populated area in the nation without a full-service veterans hospital. In its final report, the VA recommended that a new hospital be built in Orlando to serve the veterans of the community.
Initially, the VA was considering 6 site locations in Orange County to house the new full-service veterans hospital. Because this process has taken over two years to complete, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs approved legislation on July 20, 2006 authorizing $377.7 million for the construction of the new hospital at a Lake Nona site. This funding will combine with $25 million already provided for planning and design of the facility.
The VA has already selected an architectural and design firm which will soon begin its work. Throughout this process, I have been in communication with local veterans leaders and the VA to discuss the progress of the hospital.
How are you addressing the issue of concurrent receipt?
I am pleased to inform you of several positive actions taken by Congress and the Bush Administration to assist our veterans. Resolving the problem of concurrent receipt and ensuring that all of our disabled military retirees who are entitled to Veterans Administration (VA) disability compensation are not penalized by having their retirement pay reduced has been one of my top priorities in Congress.
The FY 2004 Defense Authorization Act, which passed Congress with my support and was signed into law by President Bush on November 24, 2003. This allows our disabled retirees to receive both retirement and disability incomes simultaneously.
The bill has the endorsement of both military retiree and veterans organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and the Military Officers Association of America, and it permits retirees with a 50% disability rating or higher to begin receiving both their disability and retirement pay without any offsets during a 10-year phase in period. It also continues to provide full concurrent receipt benefits to Purple Heart recipients with a 10% or higher disability rating and combat-related disability, including National Guardsmen and Reservists.
In addition, this historic measure includes a provision that establishes a 13-member independent and bipartisan commission to review the current VA disability system and make recommendations to ensure that veterans are fairly and adequately compensated. White House and Congressional leaders will appoint commissioners who are highly decorated combat veterans.
Currently, most military retirees’ retirement checks are offset by the amount of VA disability income to which they are entitled. For instance, if a military retiree is qualified to receive a monthly retirement check of $1,000 and a VA disability stipend of $300, current law requires the disability payment to be subtracted from the retirement leaving the veteran with a check for $700 retirement and $300 in disability compensation.
As part of the FY 2000 Defense Authorization bill, Congress began the process of permitting disabled military retirees to collect both military retiree pay and VA disability by authorizing "special compensation" payments to retirees with a disability rating of 70% or higher. Military retirees with 70 or 80% disability were made eligible for payments of $100 per month, $200 for 90% disabled retirees and $300 for 100% disabled retirees. The FY 2001 and FY 2002 Defense Authorization measures increased the monthly "special compensation" payments and expanded the program to include individuals with a disability rating of 60%.
Congress then expanded the "special compensation" scope in the FY 2003 Defense Authorization bill to include retirees whose disabilities originated from combat or combat-related activities. That measure authorized payments (full retirement and disability pay) to military retirees who were wounded in combat and received the Purple Heart with a 10% or higher disability rating. It also extended payments to retirees who were severely disabled in combat-related incidents.
The FY 2004 measure provides concurrent receipt benefits for more disabled veterans than ever before. Nearly a quarter million veterans have become eligible to receive dual compensation benefits since January 1, 2004.
I am pleased that the Republican majority is delivering on the commitment made to those who have defended our country and will continue working to meet the growing needs of our veterans community.
How are you eliminating backlogs in providing benefits to veterans?
Many of you to whom I have spoken express concerns about expanding health care services for our veterans and beneficiaries. Congress also passed with my support the Veterans Improvement Benefits Act (S. 2237). This measure, which was signed into law on December 6, 2002, expands health care benefits to veterans who suffer from the sudden loss of hearing, and extends veterans eligibility benefits to surviving spouses who marry after the age of 55. The new law also provides a special pension increase to Medal of Honor recipients from $600 to $1000. This health care and benefits package should hopefully assist those veterans and beneficiaries in dire need of additional care at our VA facilities.
With more thousands of veterans waiting in our State for their first primary care appointment, I have been determined to find a way to address this backlog and resolve this problem. This is simply unacceptable. No eligible U.S. veteran should be on any waiting list or be forced to wait more than a year for medical services that they are entitled to receive.
What are your views on prescription drugs for veterans?
On September 22nd, 2003, the Veterans Administration (VA) opened a new prescription drug service that I was pleased to help establish, and which addresses a critical backlog in the VA health care system and helps our veterans secure low cost medication.
Last year, after meeting with local and State veterans organizations, I learned that more than 32,000 veterans in Florida were waiting for their first primary appointment with a VA physician.
Since nearly two-thirds of veterans on waiting lists were seeking access to the VA’s pharmacy program, I urged VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi to allow private physician prescriptions to be accepted and filled by the VA. Unfortunately, VA counsel initially determined that the Department lacked the legislative authority to permit this type of benefit.
I introduced legislation, the Veterans Prescription Drug Equity Act (H.R. 240), during the first week of the 108th Congress to permit veterans currently on waiting lists to obtain medication with prescriptions from private health care providers.
Following this action, I met with Secretary Principi to discuss various ways to implement this program and improve veterans’ access to medical services. I also testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health regarding my legislation on March 19th.
I am pleased that, after receiving confirmation from the Attorney General that the VA has the authority under existing law, the Administration has adopted this proposal. This is one of the most dramatic actions in the past decade to assist our growing and aging veterans population with their medical requirements.
To be eligible, veterans must meet the following conditions:
Enrollment in the VA health care system by July 25, 2003;
Requested first primary care appointment with the VA by July 25, 2003; and
Must still be waiting more than 30 days for their first appointment with a primary care physician on September 22, 2003.
Veterans covered by the new rule will receive information from their nearest VA medical facility.
Other Issues
For an update on other issues, visit the House Committee on Veterans Affairs webpage. Please also visit my Veterans & Military Retirees Activities webpage for a review of my efforts in the 7th Congressional District. |
