Disabled Veterans National Foundation Applauds Proposed $17 Billion VA Bill
Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 30, 2014 -- Disabled Veterans National Foundation (http://www.dvnf.org), a nonprofit veterans service organization that provides critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and our freedom, is voicing its approval of a proposed measure from the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees that would address multiple issues at the VA.
After long negotiations, plans for a $17 billion VA reform bill, called the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, were revealed on Monday. A main provision of the bill is to expand care to remedy the waitlist issues that have been so prominent in recent news. It will give private care options to veterans, hire new clinicians, and also make it easier to fire bad executives at the VA.
$10 billion of this bill will go to fixing the most pressing issue of the waitlists by expanding private care options to veterans waiting longer than 30 days, or veterans who live at least 40 miles from their nearest VA hospital. $5 billion would address more long-term needs of the VA by renovating underused VA spaces and pay for leases for 27 new VA medical facilities.
The remaining $2 billion will go to various other veterans’ initiatives, such as in-state tuition for veterans attending public colleges, treating victims of military sexual trauma, and providing housing funds for veterans with TBI.
“Not only does this bipartisan proposal offer necessary funding to fix the glaring issues at hand in the VA, but it also provides a path to a better VA in the future,” said DVNF CEO Joseph VanFonda (USMC SgtMaj Ret.). “While this likely won’t fix all the problems at the VA, it is at least a chance to give deserving veterans the care they need in a timely manner.”
This legislation is expected to pass this week. In addition, the Senate will also hold a confirmation vote for the VA Secretary nominee, Bob McDonald, the former CEO of Procter & Gamble.
About DVNF:
The Disabled Veterans National Foundation exists to provide critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and our freedom.
We achieve this mission by:
• Providing personalized counseling to assist veterans in navigating the complex process of seeking benefits that they are entitled to as a result of their military service.
• Offering direct financial support to veterans and other veteran organizations to address the issues that align with the DVNF mission.
• Providing supplemental assistance through the Health & Comfort program and Empowerment Webinars.
• Serving as a thought leader on critical policy issues within the veteran community.
For more, go to http://www.dvnf.org.
Doug Walker, Communications Director, Disabled Veterans National Foundation, http://www.dvnf.org/, +1 (202) 737-0522, [email protected]
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