NOVA Supported Bill Expanding Vaccine Access for Veterans Signed by President

WASHINGTON D.C.  March 24, 2021 – NOVA-supported legislation that will expand vaccine services within VA to include all veterans, veteran spouses, caregivers, and CHAMPVA recipients was signed into law today by the President.

The Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse Act(SAVE LIVES Act) was passed quickly with bi-partisan support from House and Senate VA Committee leaders - Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA), Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS).

NOVA President, Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN, offered NOVA’s support noting “As nurses, we are encouraged that this legislation will open the door to allow all veterans, caregivers and others to receive a vaccine at VA facilities nationwide. We believe this is critical in helping all of us to protect each other and our communities. We applaud the Committee leaders for getting this done so quickly.”

The SAVE LIVES Act expands VA’s authority to provide vaccines to:

• Veterans who are not eligible for enrollment in VA’s health care system, including veterans without compensable service-connected disabilities and veterans who have incomes above a certain threshold;
• Caregivers of veterans who are enrolled in various VA home-based and long-term care programs;
• Spouses of veterans; and    CHAMPVA recipients (spouses of permanently and totally disabled veterans or of veterans who have died from service-connected disabilities).