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Bill calls for all vets to get VA care

A key senator has joined forces with a New Jersey congressman in trying to re-open enrollment for veterans’ medical care to veterans with moderate incomes and no service-connected disabilities.

The bill, introduced in the House and Senate, would restore eligibility to veterans’ health care to about 242,000 people.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate veterans’ affairs and appropriations committees, has joined Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., in sponsoring the Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act, which would reverse a Bush adminisatration decision fouir years ago to bar new enrollments in the VA health plan for those in Priority 8, the lowest category on VA’s health care priority list.

Priority 8 includes veterans who either have no service-connected disability or a zero percent disability rating, with incomes above a threshold based on family size. The thresholds range from $27,790 for a veteran with no dependents to $38,948 for a veteran with four dependents, with an additional $1,866 in income to allow for each additional dependent.

The enrollment ban took effect on Jan. 17, 2003, and was done to cut costs. VA officials said that most of the veterans who are in Priority 8 either have or could get other medical coverage.

“When it comes to veterans' healthcare, caveats and exceptions are not acceptable,” Murray said.

Her bill, S 1147, is similar to a measure introduced in January by Rothman, a member of the House Appropriations Committee who has been trying to get enrollment reopened for Priority 8 veterans since 2004. “My legislation demands that the federal government fully fund VA health care services so that no veteran in need is turned away,” Rothman said.

Rothman’s bill, HR 463, has 37 cosponsors. Murray didn’t have any original cosponsors for her bill.

Both bills take the same approach by requiring the VA to allow enrollment for any veteran who applies, which would terminate the enrollment freeze.

The cost of restoring the eligibility of Priority 8 veterans for VA health care is a matter of some dispute. Murray’s office estimates it would cost $519 million to provide coverage today and $2.3 billion to provide coverage through 2012.

Murray said the Bush administration cut off enrollment for new Priority 8 veterans in the face of budgetary problems and growing backlogs for patients when there were other options. “Instead of confronting the VA’s shortfall head on by asking for the resources necessary to address them, this administration cut off care to veterans of modest means,” she said.

Rothman said the enrollment ban is particularly hard on people in high-cost areas, like the New Jersey counties he represents. That is because they generally earn more money, making them more likely to exceed the income thresholds — but their cost of living is higher as well.