Bergman, Pappas Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Close VA Loophole and Protect Veterans’ Emergency Care Coverage
Washington,
January 30, 2025
Today, Representatives Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) introduced the Removing Extraneous Loopholes Insuring Every Veteran Emergency (RELIEVE) Act. This bipartisan legislation will eliminate a glaring gap in Veteran emergency care insurance coverage by expanding emergency coverage under Care in the Community for Veterans.
“The RELIEVE Act is one of many needed bridges to ensure new Veterans don’t fall into the abyss between the DOD and VA’s care coverage. With this bill, we’ll eliminate a dangerous loophole that could impose crippling emergency care debt on a recently separated servicemember," Rep. Bergman stated. “No veteran should ever think twice about seeking the care they need during an emergency, and no veteran should be faced with costly medical bills due or bureaucratic challenges for receiving that care,” said Congressman Pappas. “Our bipartisan legislation would ensure veterans can receive the reimbursements they are due, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to guarantee no veteran has to jump through hoops to have their health care covered by VA, especially in the case of an emergency.” Currently, a Veteran must have received health services at a VA facility within the last 24 months in order to be covered under Care in the Community. This protocol fails to account for the reality that it often takes more than a month for a Veteran to complete their first appointment – resulting in a critical gap in insurance coverage. The RELIEVE Act will fix this loophole by reimbursing Veterans for emergency care services received in a non-VA facility for non-service-connected conditions in the 60 days following the Veteran’s enrollment in the VA healthcare system, even if the Veteran has not yet had a VA health care appointment. Bergman and Pappas previously co-led this bill during the 118th Congress, along with former Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers. To read the bill, click HERE. |