Delahunt Hails Administration Decision To Drop Vets Proposal

03/18/2009
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Delahunt today applauded a decision by the Obama Administration to drop a proposal that would have forced private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who suffered service-related disabilities and injuries.

“I am pleased that the Administration has decided to drop this proposal,” said Delahunt after hearing the news earlier today. “It would have been unacceptable for the VA to ask our veterans to pay for the treatment of injuries received while serving our nation in uniform -- we owe it to them to provide the full care and benefits that they deserve.”

Under current policy, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for paying for the treatment of any injuries or disabilities resulting from a veterans’ service to their country. Veterans, or their private insurers, are currently responsible for paying for health care costs that are unrelated to their military service.

A new proposal under consideration by the Obama Administration would have allowed the VA to bill veterans’ private insurance companies for the treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities.

Just this week Delahunt joined with his colleagues and Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02) in writing a letter to President Barack Obama, signed by sixty-eight Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, calling for the administration to drop the proposed plan.  To read the letter, please click here.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced earlier this afternoon that the Obama Administration would not proceed with this proposal. She made the announcement at a meeting she and House Democrats hosted this afternoon in the Capitol with leaders of veterans’ service organizations, who greeted the news with a standing ovation. To read her statement, please click here.

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