Congressman Howard Berman (CA28) :: Press Release :: Rep. Berman Votes for Landmark Veterans Health Services Bill

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Berman voted to ensure that veterans and their families get the care and support they deserve after putting their lives on the line defending our country. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act will reform and improve veterans’ health services by supporting wounded veterans and their families and caregivers, expanding care for female veterans, and improving mental health services.

To address the unique needs of the growing number of returning women soldiers, this bill will improve health services for almost 2 million female veterans. With this legislation, the VA will be able to provide care for female veterans’ newborns for the first time in history. The bill will also improve access to care for veterans in rural areas, ensure that the VA can better treat veterans suffering from mental health issues, and provide the VA with resources to learn more about the tragically high suicide rate among veterans. This legislation will also support family members and caregivers who look after our injured veterans to bring them the relief they deserve. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 417 to zero.

The bill passed today builds on a record of accomplishments for veterans and troops over the last three years under the Democratic-led Congress – including the new G.I. Bill to provide returning troops with the promise of a college education; historic investments in veterans’ health care and providing that funding one year in advance to prevent political or legislative delays; expanding economic opportunities for returning soldiers; and improving care for those with Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder.

Our soldiers serve with honor and when they come home, they deserve the best services we can offer. That’s why we’ve made historic investments to improve veterans’ health care, raised our troops’ salaries and helped smooth their transition back from the battlefield. This bill will ensure that we can address the changing medical needs of our veterans and that all our veterans have full access to quality health care.

The bill is supported by a broad coalition of veterans groups including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Wounded Warriors Project and the National Military Family Association.

See below for more on key provisions of the bill and what Veterans Services Organizations are saying.

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Key Provisions of the Bill

CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE
Caregivers of OEF/OIF Veterans
• Caregivers are defined as family members (parent, spouse, child, step-family member, extended family member) or non-family members who live with the veteran.
• The caregiver and eligible OEF/OIF veteran must submit a joint application and once accepted, the caregiver receives the following support services:

o    Training and education;
o    Counseling and mental health services;
o    Respite care of no less than 30 days annually, including 24 hour in-home respite care;
o    Lodging and subsistence payments when accompanying the veteran on medical visits;
o    Health care through the CHAMPVA program (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs); and
o    Monthly financial stipend as determined appropriate by the Secretary based on the amount and degree of personal care services provided, and no less than the monthly amount of a commercial home health care entity.

Caregivers of Veterans of Any Era
• Caregivers are defined in the same manner as that of the support program for caregiver of OEF/OIF veterans. However, there is no residency requirement for non-family members.
• Support services for caregivers of veterans of any era include the following:

o    Training and education;
o    Counseling and mental health services;
o    Respite care including 24 hours in-home respite care;
o    Information on the support services available to caregivers through other public, private, and non-profit agencies.

WOMEN VETERANS HEALTH CARE
The bill will expand and improve VA health care services for the 1.8 million women who have bravely served their country. It requires the VA to:

Conduct a study of barriers to women veterans seeking health care,
Educate and train mental health professionals caring for veterans with sexual trauma;
Implement a reintegration and readjustment pilot program;
Establish a child care pilot program for women receiving regular and intensive mental health care and intensive health care services, or who are in need of such services but do not seek care due to the lack of child care services; and
Provide up to seven days of post-delivery health care to a new born child of a women veteran.

RURAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS
•    Improves health care for veterans living in rural areas, including by expanding transportation for veterans to local VA hospitals and clinics through VA grants to local Veterans Service Organizations.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE
•    Provides access to counseling and other mental health centers to any member of the Armed Forces (including members of the National Guard and Reserves, who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom but who are no longer on active duty) and
•    Requires the VA to conduct a veterans’ suicide study.

OTHER HEALTH CARE ISSUES
•    Prohibits the VA from collecting copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.
•    Creates a pilot program, which would provide specified dental services to veterans, survivors, and dependents of veterans through a dental insurer.
•    Requires the VA to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and Gulf-War era veterans who have insufficient medical evidence to establish a service-connected disability.
•    Provides higher priority status for certain veterans who are Medal of Honor recipients.

HOMELESS VETERANS
•    Expands the organizations offering transitional housing and other support for homeless veterans that can receive grants or per diems from the VA, which is particularly important to veterans in rural areas.

What Veterans’ Organizations Are Saying About the Bill

Veterans of Foreign Wars
“the bill will make a profound difference to veterans.” 3/22/10

The American Legion
“…encompasses a number of pressing legislative initiatives supported by… nearly every major veterans service organization in the country... this legislation offers bold solutions to major challenges facing service members, veterans, and their families.” 3/16/10

Disabled American Veterans
“…improve and restore the lives of untold numbers of sick and disabled veterans, and those who care from them in their homes… For the first time in history, VA will be authorized to aid a women veteran with up to seven days of necessary post-natal care of a newborn – an issue that has been pending in Congress for a decade – and to provide new and enhance health services to women veterans in general.” 3/18/10

AMVETS
“…goes a long way to ensure severely disabled veteran and their family will have the resources needed to provide quality care inside their own homes… ensure that our rural and remote veterans will have access to care through a variety of initiatives.” 3/23/10

Wounded Warriors Project
“At its core, the legislation would ensure that VA will meet the critical needs experienced by families of severely wounded warriors.” 3/16/10

Paralyzed Veterans of America
“The passage of S. 1963 as amended will continue to provide valuable benefits for veterans and their families, benefits that they need, have earned, and so richly deserve.” 3/19/10