Budget plans come up short on veterans health care.

A non-binding fiscal year 2003 budget blueprint under consideration in Congress would nearly double President Bush's requested funding increase for veterans health care and rejects a proposed $1,500 deductible for certain veterans treated by the VA.

The congressional budget resolution adopted by the House of Representatives includes $56.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, an 11.7% increase over the current level. For so-called discretionary spending, it calls for $26.8 billion in new budget authority, $2.8 billion more than in fiscal year 2002. That includes a $2.6 billion increase for veterans health care, nearly double what the Bush Administration had proposed.

The Administration has proposed only $1.4 billion in increased funding for VA medical care, an amount that barely covers anticipated employee salary and benefits and routine inflationary costs.

"In all, the Administration's budget request also falls $744 million short in discretionary funding for other veterans programs," said National Legislative Director Joseph A. Violante.

As laid out in The Independent Budget, the DAV and other veterans service organizations have called for funding veterans health care at $24.5 billion, a $3.1 billion increase over the fiscal year 2002 appropriation. "This recommendation addressees current chronic underfunding that has placed extreme stress on the VA health care system, rationing of care for thousands of veterans, and unprecedented waiting times for treatment," said Mr. Violante. "Our recommendation provides full funding to meet the needs of all enrolled veterans in the coming fiscal year, including funding for mandated long-term care and homeless veteran programs." (See the March/April DAV Magazine.)

The budget resolution being crafted by Congress merely sets priorities for spending in various areas, details and actual funding levels will be determined by other legislation.

Under a Senate Budget Committee draft plan, veterans benefits and services would be funded at $56.2 billion, including $26.7 billion in discretionary spending. (The full Senate had not yet acted on its version of the budget resolution as DAV Magazine went to press.)

For military retirees with VA service-connected disability ratings of 60% or higher, the 2003 federal spending plan approved by the House includes $6.1 billion over five years to begin phasing in concurrent receipt of full retired and disability pay. (Battle Continues for Concurrent Receipt.)

President Bush did not request funds for these disabled retirees, but lawmakers responding to the DAV and other veterans groups have begun the process to scrap a 110-year-old government policy of a dollar-for-dollar reduction in military longevity retired pay by the amount received in VA disability compensation.

"While not reaching the level recommended in The Independent Budget, the amount included in the House Budget Resolution is an important step forward in attempting to address the budget crisis facing VA," said Washington Headquarters Executive Director David W. Gorman. "It is important for lawmakers to recognize that substantially increased funding is needed to meet unprecedented funding shortfalls to care for sick and disabled veterans."

"We believe The Independent Budget for fiscal year 2003 makes a strong case for eliminating what appears to be a growing crisis in a VA health care system struggling to face soaring health care costs and rising demand from an aging veteran population," Mr. Violante said.

"The congressional budget resolution is only the first step. The real battle is in the appropriations process," said Mr. Gorman. "DAV members are urged to contact their members of Congress and ask them to support adequate funding for veterans health care. Tell your Representatives and Senators that the funding levels recommendation in The Independent Budget are needed to improve the quality and timeliness of the claims adjudication system and to provide quality health care to America's sick and disabled veterans."

Prepared e-mail messages are available on the Legislative Action section of the DAV Web site, www.dav.org.