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WASHINGTON—Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) is a bold step toward providing dependable, stable, and sustained funding for veterans health care, according to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
The Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2002 (H.R. 5250) calls for a fundamental change in the way government funding is provided for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care system. "This shift in VA health care funding from a discretionary to a mandatory program would guarantee adequate resources to care for sick and disabled veterans," said DAV National Commander George H. Steese, Jr.
"Year after year, federal funding has failed to keep pace with medical care inflation and the mounting financial burden for veterans health care caused by rising costs and increasing demand for medical services. This has severely hampered, and in many cases denied, timely access to quality health care for our nation's sick and disabled veterans," Commander Steese said.
In introducing H.R. 5250, Chairman Smith said, "we have a sacred obligation to ensure that our nation's veterans receive the honors and benefits that they have earned through their service to this nation."
"A mandatory funding stream...will bring increased stability and predictability in funding the health care system designed to meet the needs of our nation’s veterans," said Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.), ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, who cosponsored H.R. 5250.
"The House Veterans' Affairs Committee leadership has taken a bold step toward eliminating the year-to-year uncertainty about funding levels that has prevented the VA from being able to adequately plan for and meet the constantly growing needs of veterans seeking treatment," Commander Steese said.
"Many of America's sick and disabled veterans can't get the medical care they need because for decades policy makers and politicians in Washington have short-changed the veterans health care system budget," said Commander Steese. "With adequate funding assured, it would no longer be necessary for the VA to curb outreach efforts and ration care to veterans."
According to recent VA estimates, more than 300,000 sick and disabled veterans are either waiting for their first VA appointments or have been waiting for longer than six months for care.
The DAV is asking members of Congress to sign a pledge to actively support and work for the prompt passage of guaranteed mandatory health care funding for our nation's sick and disabled veterans.
A prepared e-mail message is available on our web site at www.dav.org .
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