September 15, 2010
Buyer Bill Would Cover Iraqi Veterans with Possible Toxic Exposure; Legislation Would Extend VA Health Care Enrollment Eligibility for Qarmat Ali Veterans
Washington, D.C. —Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer made the following statement regarding a bill he introduced to authorize the Department of Veterans (VA) to extend the healthcare enrollment period for certain veterans who served in the Qarmat Ali region of Iraq.
“Recently, a number of Army National Guardsmen, including soldiers from my home state of Indiana as well as Oregon, West Virginia, South Carolina and individual augmentees from other states were notified by VA that they were possibly exposed to toxins during their service in Iraq.”
“These brave men and women were tasked with guarding the Qarmat Ali water treatment facility and in doing so were exposed to a toxic chemical known as sodium dichromate. Health problems associated with such exposure include respiratory issues, skin lesions, burns, increased rates of lung cancer, and other ear, nose, throat, and skin disorders.”
“While I commend the VA for their efforts to contact these veterans and create a Qarmat Ali Registry to aggressively track and treat them as part of the Gulf War Registry, it is also important for them to have immediate access to VA’s high quality health care system.”
“Some of the Qarmat Ali veterans who separated from service following their deployment in 2003 may no longer be eligible to enroll in VA health care under the five-year open enrollment period Congress established for non-service connected veterans. As a result, they must first file a claim and seek a service-connected disability rating before enrolling in the VA health care system and gaining access to the comprehensive medical care VA provides.”
“H.R. 6127 would correct this unintended gap in services by extending the enrollment eligibility period for Qarmat Ali veterans by five years from the date of notification. This would allow them to immediately begin receiving services at VA medical facilities for any and all of their health care needs. Appropriate preventative care can substantially improve health outcomes and the quality of life for our honored heroes.”
“The men and women of these National Guard units completed their mission and served our country well. It was hard for me to discover that despite their safe return, their service may continue to be put them at risk. In particular, I am very sensitive to the Hoosiers and all other servicemembers who may have been injured. Breaking down barriers to needed care is the very least we, as a grateful nation, can do for the men and women who fight for our freedoms, in Qarmat Ali and around the world.”
For more news from House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Republicans, please go to:
http://republicans.veterans.house.gov/
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