Green Mountain Times

WASHINGTON, June 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and current Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, along with his colleagues in the Senate, yesterday introduced two pieces of legislation that would close eligibility gaps to ensure millions more veterans regardless of income, as well as the National Guard and Reserve service members, can access health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Sanders on the Department of Veterans Affairs Income Eligibility Standardization Act, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Welch joined Sanders on the National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act.

“As a longtime member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I have seen up close the pain, death, and despair caused by war and its aftermath,” said Sanders. “Honoring the extraordinary sacrifice and bravery of our veterans, Guard and Reserve service members is one of the most important commitments we have as a country. It’s time to stop making veterans jump through bureaucratic hoops to get the health care and benefits they have earned and were promised. These two pieces of legislation will go a long way in cutting through the red tape so that millions more veterans, National Guard and Reserve service members, and their families receive the best and most comprehensive health care our country can provide.”

“The cost of the war must include the cost of caring for the warrior. Too often that’s not the case, and veterans and National Guard and Reserve service members struggle to access the benefits they’ve earned and deserve,” said Welch. “This legislation will help service members and veterans cut through red tape and secure the support they need. I’m proud to join Senators Sanders and Booker to support these essential bills.”

“Many of America’s veterans are unable to access health care due to eligibility gaps that entangles them in bureaucratic red tape,” said Booker. “This barrier to services is unjustifiable, and it goes against one of our most sacred responsibilities as a nation: providing accessible and quality health care for our veterans. We owe it to our veterans, who risked their lives in service of our nation, to ensure they receive the comprehensive care they deserve.”

Currently, 4.7 million veterans across the U.S. cannot access health care through the VA because of inconsistent enrollment policies for a category titled Priority Group 8 – a grouping currently determined by whether the veteran’s gross household income is above the VA national income threshold of $43,834. The Veterans Affairs Income Eligibility Standardization Act simplifies the unnecessary complexity of Priority Group 8 to ensure that the millions of veterans who fall into this grouping are not denied access to quality, affordable health care through the VA.

Regarding the National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act, in recent years, the National Guard and Reserve service members have experienced the highest number of activations since World War II. However, under current law, members of the National Guard and the Reserves are not allowed to access health care through the VA, and many members of the Guard and Reserve have no health insurance when not active under federal orders. In 2019, approximately 60,000 members of the National Guard, 14 percent of the force, reported having no medical or hospitalization insurance – many due to cost.

For example, a drilling E-4 earns roughly $351 per month in basic pay, while TRICARE Reserve Select premiums cost $46.70 a month for an individual or $229.99 monthly for family coverage, plus copays/coinsurance. Additionally, Guard and Reserve members are only eligible for TRICARE Prime – which provides them and their families with no-cost health care – if they serve on federal orders for more than 30 days.

With the expanding scope of their missions, a significant increase in activations, and the need to recruit and retain a talented, skilled, and ready workforce, the National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act will ensure that members of the National Guard and Reserve have the health care needed to maintain force readiness by allowing them to access VA health care when not on active orders.

In public testimony given to Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense on June 1, 2023, Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, said: “As I begin my final year as chief, there are still many things we must accomplish to ensure the National Guard remains always ready…There are many things we can surge in times of emergency, but medical readiness is not one of them. Access to care is critical to medical readiness and the number one concern I hear from our guardsmen and recruiters when I visit our states and territories. To help recruit and retain the most talented skilled and ready force, all National Guard service members regardless of status need medical coverage. This is a matter of readiness, a matter of duty to the guardsmen who serve and sacrifice for our nation.”

The National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act is endorsed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation, Center for Health & Democracy, Center for Popular Democracy, Coalition of Veteran Organizations, Common Defense, For All, Health Care Voices, Honor the Earth, Hunger Free America, National Rural Health Association, Save our VA (SOVA), SMART Recovery, and Sojourners.

AMVETS National Commander Don McLean said: “AMVETS strongly supports the National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act, which will provide specialized health care resources to members of the National Guard and Reserve. Whether on active orders or not, these men and women require consistent access to health care to remain ready to defend our country.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs Income Eligibility Standardization Act is endorsed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation, Center for Health & Democracy, Center for Popular Democracy, Coalition of Veteran Organizations, Common Defense, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), For All, Health Care Voices, Honor the Earth, Hunger Free America, Justice in Aging, Save our VA (SOVA), SMART Recovery, Sojourners, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

“Because AMVETS strongly supports access to health care for all veterans, regardless of background or income, we are proud to support the Department of Veterans Affairs Income Eligibility Standardization Act,” continued Commander Don McLean.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Income Eligibility Standardization Act

•    Read the summary, here.

•    Read the bill text, here.

The National Guard Health Care Access and Expansion Act

•    Read the summary, here.

•    Read the bill text, here.

Original source can be found here.