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Bill raises VA mileage rate to 41.5 cents

The mileage reimbursement rate would increase to 41.5 cents a mile for veterans traveling to Veterans Affairs Department medical centers under a compromise reached by House and Senate appropriators.

The increase from the current rate of 28.5 cents a mile is part of a $72.9 billion fiscal 2009 military construction and veterans affairs spending bill that lawmakers are hoping to pass this week.

The compromise also provides for increasing enrollment of Priority 8 veterans in VA health care. These are the lowest-priority veterans for VA care, those with medical conditions that are not service-connected and who have at least moderate incomes. It is estimated that about half of all uninsured veterans are Priority 8 veterans, who have not been allowed to enroll since 2003 as part of an effort to cut costs.

Among other things, the bill adds:

• About 2,000 claims processors to reduce a large backlog of benefits claims and the processing time for new claims.

• $3.8 billion for specialty mental health care and $584 million for substance abuse programs.

• $200 million for fee-based services to improve access to care where VA facilities are not available.

• $250 million for an initiative to improve access to health care for veterans in rural areas.

• $25 billion for military construction, $649 million more than the administration requested. Included is $5.5 billion to fund military construction and family housing as the Army, the Marine Corps and National Guard and Reserve increase in size.

• $122 million for three new trainee and recruit facilities and $111 million for military medical construction to upgrade substandard treatment facilities.