Legislation to Cover Emergency Care Costs

Week of February 23, 2009

U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced the Veterans' Emergency Fairness Act of 2009. This bill would enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse veterans enrolled with VA for the remaining costs of emergency treatment received outside of VA's health care system if the veteran has outside insurance that only covers part of the cost. The bill would also allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retroactive reimbursements back to May 2000, when VA was first authorized generally to cover the cost of outside emergency care for veterans enrolled with VA for their care. Chairman Akaka's full floor statement is available here.