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Managing America: Veterans

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Week Ending August 3, 2007

H.R.2874 To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes.

Grants would be made available to private nonprofit entities with experience and expertise in offering programs to assist therapeutic readjustment of a nature that will likely assist veterans. The grants may be used to conduct workshops that will assist veterans in therapeutic readjustment and rehabilitation.

The grants may not exceed $100,000 per year. Veterans who qualify have served since the Persian Gulf War and those who served in combat since November 11. 1998 and were discharged or released from active duty on or after September 11, 2001.

Grants are provided to state veteran’s organizations and private nonprofit entities for innovative transportation options to veterans in remote rural areas needing to get to VA facilities. A grant may not exceed $50,000.

Veterans will be provided with peer outreach and support and mental health services. Mental health agencies will aim to hire trained veterans and use tele-health if viable. Counseling services for at-risk veterans are to be expanded.

Financial assistance is extended to very low-income veteran families living in permanent housing (transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. Te assistance would not necessarily go to the veteran but likely a non-profit organization or consumer cooperative that provides outreach services;  health care services, including diagnosis, treatment, and counseling for mental health and substance abuse disorders and for post-traumatic stress disorder, if such services are not readily available through the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center serving the geographic area in which the veteran family is housed; habilitation and rehabilitation services; case management services; daily living services;  personal financial planning;  transportation services;  vocational counseling;  employment and training; educational services;  assistance in obtaining veterans benefits and other public benefits, including health care provided by the Department;  assistance in obtaining income support;  assistance in obtaining health insurance; fiduciary and representative payee services; legal services child care; housing counseling; and other services necessary for maintaining independent living. A single veteran constitutes a family.

The bill also provide for:

Veterans who participated in a test conducted by the Department of Defense Desert Test Center from 1962 through 1973 higher priority for hospital care, medical services and nursing home care without requirement for proof of service-connection.

To extend through October 1, 2009, VA's authority to bill a service-connected patient's third-party insurance carrier for the cost of care VA provides the veteran for any non-service-connected disability.

Modifies the requirement for a homeless veteran to be eligible for dental care by reducing, from 60 to 30, the number of consecutive days a homeless veteran must participate in a VA-sponsored rehabilitation program.

Sponsor:  Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME-2^nd)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote July 30, 3007

Cost to the taxpayers: “The bill also would require VA to implement a new program to provide readjustment counseling and mental health care services to recent veterans. CBO does not have sufficient information about how VA might implement this requirement to estimate the cost. CBO estimates that the net effect of implementing the remainder of H.R. 2874 would be to reduce costs for veterans' health care by $22 million in 2008 and to increase costs by $199 million over the 2008-2012 period”

Earmark Certification:   H.R. 2874, as amended, does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives

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