May 25, 2017

REP. CORREA STATEMENT ON THE VITAL WORK CONGRESS IS DOING FOR OUR VETERANS

Washington, D.C.?—?Rep. Lou Correa released the following statement on how Congress is defending and protecting our veterans. As we approach Memorial Day, Congressman Correa wants to acknowledge the importance of investing in our veterans.

“This week, we honor the brave men and women for their faithful service to our great country. Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much to ensure the safety of our homes and our loved ones. As a Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I was pleased by the bipartisan progress that ensures our continued commitment to our veterans. This week, we worked to pass this legislation in the House that expands access to quality health care, provides a cost-of-living adjustment to veterans and their dependents, and improves accountability within the VA.”

The House passed the following legislation:

H.R. 91, Building Supportive Networks for Women Veterans Act, makes permanent the requirement for the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out, through the Readjustment Counseling Service of the Veterans Health Administration, a program to provide reintegration and readjustment services in group retreat settings to women veterans who are recently separated from service after a prolonged deployment.

H.R. 467, The VA Scheduling Accountability Act, requires that each VA medical facility annually certifies that it is in compliance with all provisions of law and regulations relating to scheduling appointments for veteran’s hospital care and medical services.

H.R. 1005, directs VA to enter an agreement or a contract with state veteran’s homes to pay for adult day health care for a veteran eligible for, but not receiving, nursing home care.

H.R. 1162, The No Hero Left Untreated Act, would require VA to carry out a one-year pilot program at up to two VA medical facilities to provide access to magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy to veterans with PTSD, TBI, MST, chronic pain or opiate addiction for up to 50 veterans.

H.R. 1329, The Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2017, increases the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities as well as the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans as of December 1st, 2017.

H.R. 1545, The VA Prescription Data Accountability Act, provides clarification for current law that VHA is required to disclose information to state controlled substance monitoring programs for veterans or non-veterans, who have prescribed these medications through VA.

H.R. 1725, The Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act of 2017, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept, for purposes of establishing a claim for veterans’ disability benefits, a report of a medical examination administered by a private physician without requiring confirmation by a Veterans Health Administration physician if the report is sufficiently complete.

H.R. 2288, The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, creates a new appeals system with multiple streams in which appeals case information is collected and processed. The bill gives the Secretary the authority to test the new system prior to full implementation and would allow some veterans already going through the appeals process to opt into the new system. Additionally, it would require VA to provide a plan for the implementation of the new system. The bill would also require the Secretary to submit reports to Congress on the number of pending appeals in both the new and old systems.

###