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Bill headed to White House for President's signature WASHINGTON, D.C. - Just before Memorial Day was a fitting time for the House to pass a "family-friendly" benefits bill expanding health and insurance coverage for surviving dependents of veterans and servicemembers, House VA Committee Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-4) said Thursday. "This bill is a reminder of what is owed to the survivors of our servicemen and women, and although much remains to be done by this Congress, it is a harbinger of what we can accomplish to keep our commitment to veterans," he said after passage of the Senate-amended H.R. 801, the Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001. The amended H.R. 801, now on its way to the White House for the President's signature, would: · Expand health coverage under the Civilian Health and Medical Program-Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) for survivors of veterans who died from a service-connected disability. Under this measure, CHAMPVA beneficiaries who are Medicare-eligible would receive coverage similar to "TRICARE for Life" improvements Congress gave to Department of Defense beneficiaries last year. Such coverage would be automatic for CHAMPVA beneficiaries already eligible for Medicare on the date of enactment. Future Medicare-eligible CHAMPVA beneficiaries would have to obtain Medicare Part B coverage before receiving the new benefit. · Expand the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program to include spouses and children. Spousal coverage could not exceed $100,000 and child coverage could not exceed $10,000. Upon termination of SGLI, the spouse's policy could be converted to a private life insurance policy. · Make the effective date of increased maximum SGLI coverage from $200,000 to $250,000 retroactive to October 1, 2000. This would provide increased benefits to survivors of servicemembers who died in recent training accidents or acts of terrorism while on duty. · Require the VA to make eligible dependents aware of VA services through the media and other outreach efforts "Memorial Day is a day of national remembrance for the sacrifices made by our veterans to keep this nation free," Chairman Smith said. "The enactment of HR 801 will not only help the thousands of families who need our compassion and assistance; it is part of a growing recognition by our country that our veterans are not forgotten, and that we need to remember and pay tribute to their service 365 days a year, not just on holidays and celebrations." "I want to thank Ranking Member Lane Evans (IL-17) for all of his work and support for this legislation," Smith added. "Bipartisanship is alive and well on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee." |
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