[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 24, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 383. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the 
period of eligibility for health care for combat service in the Persian 
Gulf War or future hostilities from 2 years to 5 years after discharge 
or release; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I today introduce legislation that, if 
enacted, will help ensure that returning servicemembers receive the 
care they need from VA in the 5 years immediately following detachment 
or deactivation, without having to meet strict eligibility rules. The 
changes this legislation would make will contribute to the ``seamless'' 
transition of military personnel from active duty to veteran status. 
This legislation is identical to the bill I introduced last Congress.
  Today, any active duty servicemember who is discharged or separated 
from active duty following deployment to a theater of combat--including 
Reservists or Guard who stand down but remain on reserve duty--is 
eligible for VA health care for a 2-year period. In my view, it is 
vital that this period be extended to 5 years to provide a more 
appropriate window of time for servicemembers to access VA care. Since 
the start of OEF and OIF, an average of 157,800 servicemembers have 
been discharged or deactivated per year. This legislation will help the 
existing 315,600 veterans who have been inactive for more than 2 years 
but fewer than 5, and thousands more in the future.
  Following the first Persian Gulf War, and partially in response to 
the unexplained illnesses among those who served, Congress enacted the 
Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998. This law gave 2 years of 
priority eligibility for health care to any veteran who served in a 
theater of combat following discharge or deactivation from active duty. 
The original intent was to ensure health care for servicemembers after 
their active duty health care benefits ended. It is now clear this the 
2 year window of eligibility is insufficient.
  There are two primary reasons to amend the law to allow a greater 
period of eligibility: protection from budget cuts and access to care 
for conditions, including mental health conditions, that may not be 
readily apparent when a servicemember first leaves active duty. In 
recent years, funding for VA health care has been delayed or cut by the 
legislative and appropriations processes, leading to delayed or denied 
care to those veterans with lower priority for VA care. Those veterans 
who have served in a theater of combat operations deserve to have their 
health care guaranteed for at least the first 5 years immediately 
following their discharge or detachment.
  With regard to mental health, 2 years is often insufficient time for 
symptoms related to PTSD and other mental illnesses to manifest. In 
many cases, it takes years for such symptoms to present themselves, and 
many servicemembers do not immediately seek care. Experts predict that 
up to 30 percent of OEF/OIF servicemembers will need some type of 
readjustment services. Five years would provide a bigger window to 
address these risks. We face a growing group of recently discharged 
veterans, and this legislation will help smooth their transition to 
civilian life.
  One final reason, that I believe this legislation is necessary, is 
that extending the window of eligibility for VA health care services 
may also serve to prevent homelessness among veterans. We all know that 
veterans represent a disproportionate segment of the homeless 
population, and that is a national tragedy. While we continue to battle 
homelessness among older veterans from Vietnam and other conflicts, we 
must do all we can to ensure that none of the new veterans returning 
from Iraq and Afghanistan fall through the cracks. Providing more time 
for them to access VA's services is a key part of that effort.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, as I believe it is 
truly a way to honor the service of our men and women in uniform.
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