The Veterans Emergency Care Fairness Act (H.R. 3819) Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2008. Currently the VA is authorized but not “required” to reimburse certain expenses related to emergency care at non-VA facilities (private or community hospitals). This will close a loophole in coverage for emergency services.
This is important legislation. You need to contact your representative and ask him to support this if he has not already done so.
This can easily be done utilizing a preformatted message found at
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=11330076&alertid=11330081
All you need do is enter your zip code and fill in your contact data. You can also personalize the message in any manner you desire.
Veterans are allowed to go to the nearest private or community hospital for emergency medical treatment. Once the veteran is stabilized, the veteran must then be transferred to a VA hospital for any necessary continued care. This works fine, as long as a bed is available at a VA hospital. That is where the problems might start. Under current law, the VA Secretary is authorized, not required, to reimburse participants of the VA health care plan for the cost of emergency treatment received in a non-VA facility until such time as such veterans are transferred to a VA facility.
“H. R. 3819 is AN ACT to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse veterans receiving emergency treatment in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities for such treatment until such veterans are transferred to Department facilities, and for other purposes.”
Copyright 2008 MsMarti. All rights reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Please review this bill (and all) for specious language. The description of the politicians does sound worthy. WOTN will be conducting a review of it before a full endorsement can be issued. Remember, Our Politicians understand marketing techniques and write in earmarks unrelated to the bill. These must be weighed in before the value of the bill can be judged.
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