Cramer: House Passes Legislation to support Veterans

Statement

Congressman Kevin Cramer voted for legislation passed today in the House of Representatives to strengthen accountability and health care for veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Cramer said, "The VA is a vital resource for the men and women who serve our country. Congress is taking steps toward eliminating waste and fraud within this agency so veterans receive the benefits they earned. We owe it to them to ensure their needs are being met."

With Cramer's backing, the House passed a package of bills to waive copayments in the circumstance of VA errors, improve access to private health care, closely monitor patient use of prescription drugs, and increase COLA benefits. Last week Cramer also supported the VA MISSION Act to fund the Choice Program and provide veterans with timely access to care.

The House passed a total of 14 veteran bills today and Cramer highlighted the following:

H.R. 1972, the VA Billing Accountability Act, authorizes the VA to waive the requirement of certain veterans to make copayments for hospital care, nursing home care, medical services, or medications if a VA error caused delayed notification of payment to the veteran and the veteran received notice more than 180 days after receiving the care at a VA facility or more than 18 months after receiving care at a non-VA facility.

H.R. 3642, the Military SAVE Act, directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a three-year pilot program to improve access to private health care for veterans who are survivors of military sexual trauma.

H.R. 3832, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act, requires medical providers at the VA who prescribe controlled substances to veterans to seek information regarding those veterans from state programs that monitor prescription drug use.

H.R. 4958, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act, increases the rates of Wartime Disability Compensation, Compensation for Dependents, Clothing Allowance, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation to Surviving Spouse, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation to Children by the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act.

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