Congressman
Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Good news! Beginning January 9th, any service-disabled or low income veteran who must travel to get health care at a VA hospital in the First District or any other VA facility across the nation will receive a larger reimbursement for their travel costs.

I have heard from many of my constituents that, with the ever fluctuating cost of gas, transportation to the necessary VA facilities can often be extremely expensive. It often was difficult for Horry County veterans to afford the cost of traveling to the Johnson VAMC in Charleston.  High energy costs and the proximity to a health care facility should not determine whether or not a veteran receives the necessary care. 

For this reason, I applaud a recent law that now enables the VA give more back to veterans for their mileage reimbursements. The VA will not only be able to keep $18/year per veteran for administrative expenses; previously the VA was keeping a maximum of $46.62 per year.

In addition to all service connected and low-income veterans now being eligible for reimbursement, other veterans traveling for Compensation and Pension examinations qualify for coverage of their travel costs as well. This change, combined with the November raise in the mileage reimbursement to 41.5 cents/mile, will now ensure that all veterans living in the First District, and across the nation, have access to the world-class health care provided by the VA.

Visit the Veterans' Casework page on my website to find VA facilities, find out information about VA health benefits, and apply for benefits.

Posted by Henry E. Brown (12-30-2008, 05:08 PM) filed under Energy, Veterans

 

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