HOUSE PASSES $70 BILLION IN VA
FUNDING FOR FY 06
Washington, D.C. —
Today, the house passed H.R.
2528, the Military Quality
of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year
2006, which appropriates $70.038 billon for the Department of
Veterans Affairs. Funding
for Veterans medical care has increased
by 18% over the last two years. For the first time ever, this bill
allocates $2.2 billion solely for mental healthcare and doubles
funding for mental health research.
“This increase in VA funding for 2006 will ensure a quality veterans
healthcare system and help us improve the accuracy and
responsiveness of the veterans' benefits system,” said Chairman
Steve Buyer.
The bill also includes recommendations that the VA initiate a
new pilot program to provide a comprehensive restructuring of
the complete revenue collections cycle and states that the VA
provide quarterly progress reports to the Committees on
Appropriations in both Houses of Congress. This will allow the
VA to improve their revenue collections of billed amounts from
third party insurance companies.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
FUNDING:
$36.995 billion mandatory
$31.818 billion discretionary
$1.225
billion contingent emergency funding for medical services
$70.038 billion TOTAL VA
*Including the recently passed COLA, total VA funding would be
brought up to $70.249 billion.
Department of
Veterans Affairs
Medical Care and Benefits:
-
Veterans Medical Services
are funded at $22.5 billion, $575 million above the President’s
budget request and $1.7 billion above FY05. VA also has
available an additional $1.14 billion in available funding from
FY 05 for carry over into the FY 06 funds.
-
Mental Health Services
- for the first time ever, $2.2 billion is fenced for specialty
mental health care and the bill doubles funding for mental
health research.
-
This
bill contains a new
“Prosthetics and Integrative Health Care Initiative”
to treat returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan who have
lost limbs in combat. $412 million will provide for medical and
prosthetic research, which is $19 million over the budget
request.
-
For
construction programs,
the bill recommends the budget request levels of $607 million
for major construction and $199 million for minor construction.
Of these funds, $532 million of major construction and $155
million of minor construction are designated for the “Capital
Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services” or CARES program.
-
Veteran’s Benefits
are
increased $1.9 billion over last year.
Other highlights
include:
-
An
additional $40 million for VBA operation expenses to prevent
staff reductions in processing disability claims benefits.
-
$85
million for state extended care facilities.
-
Creates 3 “Centers of Excellence” for Mental Health/PTSD medical
care.
-
Requires VA to brief Congress on a quarterly basis on the status
of their financial situation.
-
Requires the VA to maintain the current system of processing
home monitoring devices for diabetes patients.
-
Fully funds all mental health care and PTSD requirements.
-
The agreement encourages the VA to
provide full assistance to veterans in rural areas through
information campaigns and distribution of VA benefits handbooks.