Making Progress Towards Modernizing the VA
When someone signs up and puts on the uniform to defend our freedom, they do so with an understanding that the United States will uphold its promise to care for and support them when they return home. The good news is that this week the House Veterans Affairs Committee approved three bills I’m leading in Congress to provide more efficient services to veterans, streamline communication, and protect taxpayer dollars.
Here’s more information about these three bills that are now ready for a vote on the House Floor:
The Forcing Real Accountability for Unlawful Distributions (FRAUD) Act would save taxpayer dollars and prevent payments on fraudulent or misleading claims that third parties submit on behalf of community health care providers. When these third parties bill the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA has a responsibility to review the claims. Erroneous payments waste taxpayer dollars and take resources away from veterans’ services.
My bill fixes this issue by directing the VA to acquire a monitoring system to screen third-party payments and ensure the department pays only accurate and complete claims. This safeguard will preserve taxpayer dollars, prevent waste, and protect veterans’ reputations.
The Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act would let veterans choose to receive updates about their G.I. Bill and Solid Start benefits electronically instead of through physical mail. This option would save the VA money by reducing paper use while allowing veterans to get information quickly and conveniently.
The Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act would pay for veterans’ visits to licensed hearing aid specialists, even if the specialists do not work at VA facilities. The VA Community Care Program already covers other types of specialists, and the bill would enable veterans to get their hearing aids fit, adjusted, or repaired locally, without traveling to a VA hospital or clinic. This bill passed committee as part of a broader plan to expand veterans’ access to health care in their communities.
These bills are about bringing the VA into the 21st century so we can meet our obligations and effectively, efficiently deliver services to veterans. I look forward to bringing this effort to drive innovation and technological reforms for our nation’s heroes to the House floor.