Hearing Of The House Subcommittee On Health Of The House Committee On Veterans' Affairs - Legislative Hearing On H.R. 1017, H.R. 1036, H.R. 2504, H.R. 2559, H.R. 2735, H.R. 3073, H.R. 3441, H.R. 2506, And Draft Discussions On Homelessness, Graduate Psychology Education, And Psychiatric Service Dogs
Good morning Chairman Michaud, Ranking Member Brown, and all Members of the VA Subcommittee on Health. I first wish to thank you for scheduling this legislative hearing today and inviting me to speak on my bill, H.R. 3441. This legislation would automatically enroll veterans who are already eligible for free VA health care into the VA system, while providing a chance to opt-out of the system both at the time of separation from the Armed Services and 6 months following.
My bill references the statutes passed in FY08 National Defense Authorization Act. As you know, this law extends the eligibility period for free VA medical care from 2 to 5 years for veterans who served in a combat theater of operations after November 11, 1998. It applies to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve servicemembers returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (or OEF/OIF) for conditions that may be related to their combat service. Following this initial 5-year period, these veterans may continue their enrollment in the VA health care system, but they may be subject to applicable copayments for nonservice-connected conditions.
My legislation takes this same group eligible for free health care under the FY08 Act and instructs the Department of Defense, in conjunction with the VA, to automatically enroll these veterans in VA health care, should these veterans so choose. This bill does not create new classes of veterans eligible for free VA health care, but simply changes the process by which these veterans would become part of the system upon separation from the DoD.
Importantly, this bill includes an opt-out provision at the time of separation and again at 6 months after separation to preserve the veteran's right to choose his or her own health care.
My bill would also issue a standard VA veterans' identification card to an auto-enrolled veteran, and provide a listing of VA medical facilities within 100 miles of the veteran. It would also require the VA to attach a description of federal veterans benefits and programs, such as educational benefits, job training, and placement programs, for which the veteran may be eligible.
The reason we are proposing this legislation is to make sure that acceptance into the VA is as simple and effortless as possible for the tens of thousands who will likely seek access in the coming months. Most of us here recognize the VA's efforts to track down veterans weeks and even months after their return. Yet unfortunately, we still have a system that doesn't sufficiently reach all soldiers. It also places responsibility fully on a soldier who has just returned from war and must step back into his or her "normal" life. Dealing with this single experience is difficult enough. We shouldn't place another burden on our veterans by requiring them to actively pursue the care they may want or need.
The opportunity to improve our present VA enrollment system is reflected by the sheer demand of returning servicemembers who are accessing the system at record rates. The VHA Office of Public Health reported this January that between FY02 and the last quarter of FY08, 42% of the roughly 950,000 separated OEF/OIF veterans have sought VA healthcare. The report also predicts that the percentage of OEF/OIF veterans receiving health care from the VA -- as well as the percentage given any type of diagnosis -- will tend to increase over time as these veterans continue to enroll in VA health care and develop new health problems.
In its April 2009 report, the VA Office of Policy and Planning further broke down the exceptional VA usage patterns of OEF/OIF veterans. An overwhelming 53% of these veterans used VA health care in FY08. Additionally, when compared to all other veterans, OEF/OIF veterans also more frequently turned to the VA to access multiple programs. 44% -- or roughly 221,000 returning servicemembers -- sought some combination of education, pension, insurance, health, or loan guaranty services from the VA.
Clearly, the demand for VA care will only continue to grow in the coming years. Unfortunately, these higher enrollment numbers also indicate a trend towards more cases of joint and back disorders, mental disorders, and what the VA characterizes as "Symptoms, Signs, and Ill-Defined Conditions." These three categories are what the VA has determined the most common health problems of war veterans, and represent our collective responsibility to improve our delivery of good, efficient care to all those who risked everything for this country.
While these figures represent the specific experiences of OEF/OIF veterans, I believe that we must re-evaluate entry into the VA for all returning servicemembers.
Let me first say that I acknowledge the outreach efforts that the VA has performed during this time. An extensive outreach effort has been developed to inform veterans of their benefits, including the mailing of a personal letter from the VA Secretary to war veterans identified by DoD when they separate from active duty and become eligible for VA benefits. These efforts have undoubtedly contributed to higher VA enrollment rates.
Yet while the VA attempts to reach out to returning soldiers and educate them about available resources, it is still presently incumbent upon the veteran to initiate and complete the application and registration process with the VA. In many cases, a soldier's primary focus during his or her last few weeks of deployment is simply getting back home -- not spending more time away from loved ones by studying the VA application process, filling out paperwork, or undergoing evaluation. These servicemembers often forego necessary screening or care, leading to critical situations weeks or months later when symptoms begin to manifest or intensify. Frankly, despite all of our efforts, some are still falling through the cracks.
I commend the VA for its committed efforts to reach each veteran. However, I see a chance to change the system so that veteran care no longer centrally involves tracking down those we've missed, and no longer leaves many veterans finding themselves months or even years later without proper treatment options and unaware of how to navigate the VA system.
By implementing auto-enrollment and accepting returning soldiers at the outset, this bill would allow the VA to shift time and resources away from tracking and follow-up and instead focus on delivering health care right away. The bill would also inform every servicemember of the many VA resources available to him or her as an enrolled veteran with the resource card. This legislation is critical towards realizing the "seamless transition," a common goal of the Administration's, various veterans' service organizations, and veterans themselves for years.
Thank you again for holding this hearing on my legislation to provide auto-enrollment for veterans returning from combat zones. This bill is endorsed by American Legion and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. I look forward to working together to honor and protect our veterans, and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have on this bill.