Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 07/19/2004

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
Many thanks for the timely letter from Rep. Chris Van Hollen and your reply to him about H.R. 3474. We have just mailed off letters today to all Congressional members on the Armed Services Committee detailing our nightmare with health care. My husband retired on July 1, 2004, and we will be driving 1 1/2 - 2 hours to Walter Reed for medical care - the only clinic in the area still accepting retirees. We are most appreciative that Walter Reed remains committed to providing health care to us. Can you imagine civilians accepting health care coverage that requires such a drive - we attempted to go Tricare Standard but received no help in finding a doctor in the area (Prince William County). Don't most health care plans include clinics, lists of available physicians and a reasonable wait between phone call and getting seen - our wait would have been 2 months if we went Tricare Standard. I was told by Tricare and Sierra Health to do my own internet search and to do my own phone calling. My husband is trying his best to get a job; mostly, in order to obtain civilian health care. I wish I could draw cartoons as I would draw a cartoon of an out-of-work retiree walking the streets, holding a sign that says "will work for health care." I am writing this for clarification - do you want us to just send letters to the House Armed Services Committee - I am puzzled in that I do not see Rep. Van Hollen listed on the website list of committee members. Now that I have a letter to send I will be happy to send it to anyone that it needs to be mailed to. Thanks for your help. Keep up the excellent dissemination of information. Sincerely,

Cathy S
Prince William Count, Virginia

Dear Cathy,
Thank you for your support of HR 3474. I once again urge the Congressional leadership to get off the dime and pass this essential legislation. Military retirees deserve nothing less.

Shaft Notes
Kudos to the House Veterans Affairs health subcommittee for their recent approval of the

"Veterans Medical Facilities Management Act" of 2004 This Legislation Would Authorize Leases for 16 Veterans Outpatient Clinics.

The bill, H.R. 4768, which was sponsored by the Chairman of the Subcommittee, Congressman Rob Simmons of Connecticut, is expected to go before the full Committee later this month.

This action by the Subcommittee is another major step forward to ensure that health care services are available to all veterans in a timely manner and at convenient locations," said Chairman Simmons. "The Veterans Medical Facilities Management Act will not only provide VA with the funding authority to open 16 new outpatient clinics, it will also provide VA with increased flexibility to better manage their capital assets to meet the needs of America's veterans," he said.

As approved by the Subcommittee, H.R. 4768 would authorize VA to enter into 16 major medical leases with a total value of over $24 million annually. H.R. 4768 would also give VA the authority to enter into a 75-year lease for land on which to construct a new medical facility on the Fitzsimons Campus of the University of Colorado, in Aurora, Colorado. The Fitzsimons project itself was authorized in separate legislation, Public Law 108-170, signed by President Bush last year.

Congressman Bob Beauprez of Colorado, who spearheaded the Fitzsimons project in the Committee, said that the bill, "will greatly benefit the veterans of the Rocky Mountain region.

As approved by the Subcommittee, H.R. 4768 would also change the way in which the Department of Veterans Affairs handles the transfer of excess properties. The bill would allow VA to retain the proceeds from any sales, leases, or transfers of excess, unneeded properties and facilities to other agencies or organizations. The proceeds would be placed into a new Capital Asset Fund, which could then be used by VA to improve the delivery of health care services to veterans.

"As VA moves forward with their plan to realign capital assets in order to enhance services for veterans, it is important that we provide appropriate tools to help transform excess properties into new resources for veterans health care," Chairman Simmons said. "H.R. 4768 would give VA additional flexibility, while at the same time holding it accountable for meeting the long-term care needs of our aging veterans," he said. Specifically, H.R. 4768 would place a requirement on VA that before it could take advantage of the new Capital Asset Fund, it would have to certify that the number of long-term care beds for elder veterans met its statutory requirement, and that a plan was in place to continue meeting that requirement. In addition, the bill would allow VA to transfer facilities to qualified providers of homeless veterans services at below market prices.

Simmons' legislation also includes new language to help protect VA's historic properties. H.R. 4768 would require VA to make annual reports to Congress on the status of all historically significant facilities, buildings, and properties. The bill would also allow VA to use the Capital Asset Fund to help preserve or adaptively reuse historic VA properties.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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