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LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
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May 21, 2009: The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, chaired by Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), approved comprehensive legislation to better enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the needs of veterans and their families. The bills approved today will help veterans in rural areas receive better health care, establish a permanent program to support veterans' caregivers, and secure timely and transparent funding for VA's health care system through advance appropriations.
For Chairman Akaka's full opening statement, click here. The legislation ordered reported out of committee included the following bills:
S. 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009:
- Enables VA to recruit and retain high quality health care professionals by improving pay, benefits, scholarship programs, and work schedules;
- Enhances VA's ability to provide institutional and non-institutional care, rehabilitative care for OEF/OIF veterans, mental health services, and other programs;
- Creates pilot programs to provide outreach and assistance to returning service members in their communities and help prevent homelessness; and
- Improves VA's overall research program.
S. 423, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009:
- Secures timely and predictable funding for the VA health care system one-year ahead of the regular appropriations process; and
- Ensures transparency in the funding process by requiring public reports and GAO audits on VA's funding forecasting.
S. 728, the Veterans' Benefits enhancement Act of 2009:
- Strengthens insurance programs for disabled veterans and expands eligibility for traumatic injury protection;
- Eases the burden on certain combat veterans who seek to establish that their disabilities are related to their service; and
- Strengthens laws protecting veterans and service members from employment discrimination.
S. 801, the Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act of 2009:
- Establishes an unprecedented permanent program to train, support, and assist the caregivers of disabled veterans;
- Improves care and treatment for veterans living in rural areas; and
- Enables VA to reimburse eligible veterans for emergency treatment outside of the VA health care system if their insurance only covers part of the cost of that care.
The bills approved today will be reported to the full Senate for consideration. For a copy of the markup agenda, visit the Committee's website by clicking here.
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In a statement of the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate on S. 362, dated April 8, 2009, NOVA states:
"NOVA appreciates the opportunity to provide input into S. 362, legislation that would allow VA health care professionals to bargain over the issue of Clinical Competency, Clinical Conduct, Title 38 Compensation and Peer Review. NOVA is opposed to this legislation..."
Read the full testimony below:
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We have also prepared a Word document of a letter that you can send to your Senators, expressing NOVA's opposition to this legislation. (You need to open this document, and edit the "italicized" text to your personal information.)
You should contact your two Senators. Look up their contact information at www.thomas@loc.gov and e-mail the letter below filling in the italicized information. Feel free to add personal experiences.
It is imperative you use your personal e-mail address and do not work on this project while on VA time.
Letters should be forwarded by May 20, since this bill will be marked-up on May 22. The mark-up will determine the final wording of the bill as well as whether not the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs votes it out of the Committee. If voted out of the Committee, it will be considered by the full Senate.
Lastly, please share the e-mail, letter template and written testimony with your colleagues. Encourage them to also contact their Senators. Overturning this bill depends on a strong grass roots effort. You can make a difference.
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Read NOVA's Response to the American Medical Association House of Delegates Resolution 303 (A-08) Protection of the Titles “Doctor,” “Resident,” and “Residency” by NOVA President, Nancy Claflin:
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On June 12, 2008, the following response was received from the AMA:
"Thank you for your comments. I will forward them to the appropriate staffers who will share them with the reference committee members.
I might note that at this time, the resolutions are proposals and should not be read as anything more than that. They may or may not become AMA policy. The democratic nature of the House of Delegates affords members the chance to introduce items of business for consideration by the entire body; some of those items are embraced while others are rejected, but none is AMA policy unless and until adopted by action of the House.
Should you wish to follow the outcome of the resolutions (303 is now 232), you will be able to find the information next week at http://www.ama-assn.org/go/hod (no later than Wednesday, June 18).
Please share my comments with your colleagues as the number of emails I have received precludes individual responses to every correspondent. Thank you in advance.
Roger Brown, PhD
Director, Office of House of Delegates Affairs
American Medical Association
515 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60654
312 464.4344
312 464.4505 fax
mailto:roger.brown@ama-assn.org"
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NEW!! Read Cecilia McVey's Testimony before the Senate & House VA Committees, May, 2008:
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NOVA Position Statements:
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Attracting and Retaining a Quality VHA Nursing Workforce:
Caring for our Nation's Veterans
NOVA's 2006 Submission to the Independent Budget
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(The Impact of the Current Congressional Budget Shortfall)
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Congressional VA Committees:
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July 2005 -- The NOVA Board of Directors attends the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing held on the 2006 budget.
Pictured here with Committee Chairman, Steve Buyer, R-Indiana.
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Download NOVA's Health Policy Handbook: (Requires Acrobat Reader)
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