by Rebecca Vinduska
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care
Representative Lane Evans (D-IL-17), ranking Democratic member
of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced legislation
to establish what he termed "a vastly improved funding system"
for veterans health care.
The bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide,
on an annual basis, funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) health care system. The funding would begin in Fiscal Year
2005 and the level of funding would be based on the number of
enrollees in the system and the consumer price index for hospital
and related services.
"Our veterans deserve better than a chronically underfunded
health care system," said Evans. "I believe veterans—all
veterans—have earned the right to access the health care
system that was created to serve their needs."
Evans believes the cost of veterans health care is still small
when compared with the sacrifices veterans have already made on
behalf of fellow Americans.
"The price we pay as a nation for assuring timely access
to high-quality health care services is small in relation to the
price we have asked them to pay in securing our freedom,"
he said.
CARES Update
Phase II of VA’s Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced
Services (CARES) is now in the feedback phase. The independent
CARES Commission, which conducted site visits in July, will begin
hearings in August at several sites across the country. BVA plans
to have a representative on hand to testify at as many hearings
as possible, especially at sites that host a Blind Rehabilitation
Center or at which there is a proposal on the table for new services
for blinded veterans.
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