BVA believes these issues are vital to the survival
of the VA and to services and benefits for blinded veterans. Some
of these issues are unique to veterans and others are applicable
to all blind Americans.
A. BVA strongly encourages
continuation of full funding for the core appropriation for
VA health care. Authorizing VA to retain third-party collection
should be viewed as a supplement to and not a substitute for
core appropriations. Veterans' insurance companies should not
be required to pay for veterans' health care as this is clearly
a responsibility of the federal government.
B. BVA strongly supports the
provision of a full Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for veterans
receiving disability compensation and surviving spouses and
dependent children receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
(DIC). Further, we support this COLA being made effective December
1, 2001. It is extremely important that disabled veterans or
surviving spouses be able to keep pace with inflation due to
the additional cost associated with severe disabilities. Fortunately,
the rate of inflation has been quite low in recent years, though
medical costs continue to rise. The increases place pressure
on the disabled person's purchasing power. BVA is opposed to
any attempt to means test the provision of SC disability compensation
or DIC benefits. The income of spouses of deceased veterans
should have no bearing on the DIC benefit.
C. BVA
strongly supports legislation that would allow concurrent receipt
of Military Retirement Pay based on longevity and SC Disability
Compensation. We urge your support for the Military Retirement
Restoration Act of 2001: HR 303 introduced by Mr. Bilirakis,
and the companion bill S 170 introduced by Senator Reed. We
commend both of these men but especially Mr. Bilirakas for his
persistence on this important issue.
D. Medicare subvention is an
issue critical to the future funding of VA health care programs.
Considerable discussion of this issue has occurred during the
years with strong resistance coming particularly from the House
Ways and Means Committee. BVA was extremely encouraged three
years ago by the conceptual agreement achieved between Chairman
Stump and Mr. Thomas, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee
on Health, regarding a pilot Medicare subvention demonstration
project for VA. We trust legislative language can be crafted
again this year to move this legislation rapidly through the
first session of the 107th Congress.
Authorizing VA to bill Medicare for services provided to certain
veterans seems to be a win-win situation. VA benefits from additional
revenue to supplement core appropriations and the Medicare trust
fund benefits because VA will be reimbursed at a discounted
rate. There is no question VA should be given the opportunity
to demonstrate its ability not only to collect these funds but
also afford the Trust Fund with real savings.
E. BVA supports passage of the
Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Coverage Act, affording all blind
Americans access to highly qualified rehabilitation specialists.
This bill was introduced in late 1999 as HR 2870 and will be
reintroduced again soon. Failure to insure this access is blatant
discrimination against people who are blind. The federal government
(Medicare) should provide leadership in this regard and private
insurance companies will hopefully follow suit. From the blinded
veterans perspective, adoption of this Act would provide an
additional source of needed revenue for VA once Medicare subvention
is approved.
F. Any settlement
by the federal government with the tobacco industry, allowing
government health care providers to recover the cost of health
care services to individuals suffering health related problems
associated with the use of tobacco, must include the VA. In
our view, any funds received through such a settlement should
first be used to restore adequate core appropriations for VA
health care before any new initiatives are entertained. Additionally,
settlement funds should be used to offset the government's cost-paying
compensation to veterans determined to have disabilities related
to tobacco addiction acquired in the military.
