Veterans

Today's News about Veteran's Issues

Congressmen Tim Ryan and Conor Lamb Introduce The Whole Veteran Act to Promote Overall Mental Health and Wellness
Source: Tim Ryan (D-OH, 13th)
April 29, 2019
“Twenty veterans die by suicide every day in the United States. That’s unacceptable. Some of the wounds our veterans face aren’t always visible, so we need to do a better job of providing them with the mental health resources and tools needed to get on the path to recovery,” said Congressman Ryan. “The Whole Veteran Act will advance our efforts to ensure critical Whole Health programs—including chiropractic services, whole health group services, meditation, and yoga—are available and accessible at every VA facility. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. We owe it to them to provide the care they need when they return home.”

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Rep. Cuellar Announces Over $2 Million for Webb County’s Veterans Court Program
Source: Henry Cuellar (D-TX, 28th)
April 24, 2019
Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $2,000,000 over the next 5 years in federal funding for Webb County’s Veterans Court Program awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funds will go to support the continuation of Webb County’s Veteran Court Program which will be able to provide 200 veterans in areas of Webb County, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Starr, Duvall and Jim Wells County with individualized treatment for co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders

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Trump Admin Responds to Buchanan Over Vets Suicides
Source: Vern Buchanan (R-FL, 16th)
April 24, 2019
The Trump administration has assured Congressman Vern Buchanan that it is taking aggressive steps to curb the growing number of suicides among veterans and members of the armed forces.

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VA issues proposed rule for new community care program

by American Hospital Association

Washington, D.C. - February 23, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed the criteria for determining when covered veterans may elect to receive necessary hospital, medical and extended care services from non-VA entities or providers under the Veterans Community Care Program. The AHA-supported MISSION Act of 2018 requires the agency to consolidate its existing community care programs into this new program by June.

Under the proposed rule, covered veterans would have to be enrolled in the VA health care system and meet at least one of six conditions: VA does not offer the required care or services; VA does not operate a full-service medical facility in the state in which the veteran resides; the veteran was eligible to receive care under the Veterans Choice Program and is eligible to receive care under certain grandfathering provisions; VA is not able to furnish care or services to a veteran in a manner that complies with VA’s designated access standards; the veteran and the referring clinician determine it is in the best medical interest of the veteran to receive care or services from an eligible entity or provider based on consideration of certain criteria VA proposes to establish; or the veteran is seeking care or services from a VA medical service line that VA has determined is not providing care that complies with VA’s standards of quality.

The proposed rule also designates access standards for the new program, as announced last month; describes non-VA entities and providers eligible to participate in the program; and clarifies payment rates and methodologies for those community providers to include rates for critical access hospitals and other types of providers. According to the agency, providers eligible to participate in the new program would be “substantively identical” to those permitted to participate under the VA’s current Veterans Choice or other community care programs.

The proposed rule will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register with comments accepted for 30 days. VA last month issued a separate proposed rule implementing urgent care provisions for the new program.

U.S. REPS. AND U.S. SENATOR REQUEST VA SECRETARY REPORT ON VETERAN HUNGER

Washington, D.C. - December 9, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Al Lawson, along with five of his colleagues and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), wrote Secretary David Shulkin of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to request that the agency annually share information on the number of veterans who struggle with food insecurity. Beginning November 1, 2017, the VA started collecting information regarding food insecurity among veteran’s, agency-wide.

“We ask that you provide a report on the status of veteran food security and hunger screenings to relevant House and Senate oversight committees by November of 2018, along with recommendations about further actions that could be taken to assist veterans who are determined to be food insecure, including pilot programs to test the feasibility of SNAP enrollment and applications assistance by VA personnel,” the members wrote in their letter to Secretary David J. Shulkin. “It is imperative that Members of Congress are briefed by the Administration the progress of this screening tool as well as VA programs and personnel efforts to connect those in need to SNAP and other social services.”

“As we prepare to honor the men and women on Veteran’s Day who have served our country, it is crucial that we know how many of our nation’s veterans and their families are struggling to put food on the table,” Rep. Lawson noted. “These screenings will go a long way in helping Members of Congress and policymakers understand the severity of this problem and identify steps we can take to support our veterans.”

“Asking this screening question is an essential first step to better understand the scope of food insecurity among our nation’s veterans,” says Abby J. Leibman, president & CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. “We urge the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement appropriate systems and processes to directly help food insecure veterans in applying for and enrolling in nutrition assistance programs like SNAP.”

Representative Lawson was joined by Members of Congress who have direct jurisdiction over veterans and hunger issues: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) of the Senate Agriculture and Armed Services committees, Reps. Lujan Grisham (NM) and James P. McGovern (MA) of the House Agriculture Committee, Seth Moulton (MA) of the House Armed Services Committee, Tim Ryan (OH) of the House Veteran Affairs Subcommittee on Appropriations, and Tim Walz (MN) of the House Agriculture and the Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

U.S. Reps. J. Luis Correa (CA), Peter A. DeFazio (OR), Julia Brownley (CA), Dwight Evans (PA), John Garamendi (CA), Denny Heck (WA), Tom O’Halleran (AZ), Jimmy Panetta (CA), Chellie Pingree (ME), Jacky Rosen (NV), and David Scott (GA) also signed the letter.

Read the full letter here.


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CONGRESS SHOULD MOVE ON BILL TO MODERNIZE VA

Source: Concerned Veterans for America

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====Washington, D.C. - September 7, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Recently, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) introduced the VA Information Technology Restructuring Act, or H.R. 3640, as a measure to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill is identical to a Senate measure introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) earlier this year, which Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) supported immediately.

The bill will create a Chief Information Officer (CIO) position within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to help streamline the upgrading, acquisition, and operation of IT systems in the department.

CVA Texas Field Director Ben Rangel issued the following statement:

“The VA’s outdated IT system is one of the many barriers to veterans accessing timely care and benefits. Rep. Ratcliffe’s new bill would enable the VA to make well-informed decisions to upgrade, modernize, and consolidate its IT department. We applaud the efforts of Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ratcliffe to make the VHA more effective, and we proudly support the VA Information Technology Restructuring Act. With strong momentum in the House and Senate, there is no reason for Congress to delay taking up this important measure to improve the care our veterans receive.”