[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S390-S391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mr. Gregg):
  S. 239. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that 
veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive 
services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health 
Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by 
contract in the State; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise to announce that I am introducing 
the Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. This legislation requires the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that every State has either a 
full-service veterans hospital or, in the alternative, that veterans in 
every State have access to instate hospital care and medical services 
comparable to the services provided in full-service hospitals.

[[Page S391]]

  New Hampshire is currently the only State that does not have a full-
service veterans hospital or a military hospital that provides 
comparable care to veterans. This imposes a great burden on too many 
New Hampshire veterans who are forced to travel out of State for 
routine medical services. New Hampshire has over 130,000 veterans and 
this number is projected to grow over the next 10 years. It is 
unconscionable that New Hampshire veterans must board buses in order to 
be transported to Massachusetts to get necessary medical care. New 
Hampshire's entire congressional delegation, Senate and House, 
Republican and Democratic, is united in our commitment to end this 
unfair treatment of veterans. I am pleased the senior Senator from New 
Hampshire, Judd Gregg, has agreed to cosponsor this legislation with 
me.
  Our bill is companion legislation to that introduced last week in the 
House by Representative Carol Shea-Porter and cosponsored by 
Representative Paul Hodes. I wish to take this opportunity to salute 
Representative Shea-Porter for the leadership she has shown on this 
issue.
  Our goal is to ensure that New Hampshire veterans can get the care 
they need and deserve instate. Our legislation provides the Veterans' 
Administration with flexibility to achieve this end. If it is not 
feasible for the VA to construct a new full-service hospital in New 
Hampshire or to restore full services at the VA hospital in Manchester, 
this legislation simply requires the Veterans' Administration to 
contract for comparable instate care.
  My father served in Europe during World War II, my husband is a 
Vietnam era vet from the Army, and my son-in-law Ryan recently served 
in the Air Force. I am proud of my family's service and the service of 
all the veterans of New Hampshire and across this country. Every 
freedom and right we enjoy today was paid for with the sacrifices of 
the men and women who have served in our Nation's Armed Forces.
  Our veterans deserve first-rate medical care, regardless of where 
they live. There are full-service veterans hospitals in 47 States and 
veterans in Alaska and Hawaii are able to receive care at military 
hospitals. New Hampshire alone has neither. I am hopeful our colleagues 
will recognize this inequity and support our efforts to provide New 
Hampshire veterans with the same access to health care that veterans in 
every other State receive.
  I look forward to working with New Hampshire's congressional 
delegation, with my Senate colleagues and with the new Obama 
administration to end this injustice.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 239

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Health Equity Act 
     of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF FULL-SERVICE HOSPITAL OF THE VETERANS 
                   HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IN CERTAIN STATES OR 
                   PROVISION OF COMPARABLE SERVICES THROUGH 
                   CONTRACT WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN 
                   THE STATE.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 1716 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 1716A. Access to full-service hospitals in certain 
       States or comparable services through contract

       ``(a) Requirement.--With respect to each of the 48 
     contiguous States, the Secretary shall ensure that veterans 
     in the State eligible for hospital care and medical services 
     under section 1710 of this title have access--
       ``(1) to at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans 
     Health Administration in the State; or
       ``(2) to hospital care and medical services comparable to 
     the services provided in full-service hospitals through 
     contract with other health care providers in the State.
       ``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) 
     shall be construed to restrict the ability of the Secretary 
     to provide enhanced care to an eligible veteran who resides 
     in one State in a hospital of the Veterans Health 
     Administration in another State.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 1716 the following new item:

``1716A. Access to full-service hospitals in certain States or 
              comparable services through contract.''.

       (c) Report on Implementation.--Not later than one year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report describing 
     the extent to which the Secretary has complied with the 
     requirement imposed by section 1716A of title 38, United 
     States Code, as added by subsection (a), including the effect 
     of such requirement on improving the quality and standards of 
     care provided to veterans.

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I wish to discuss the Veteran's Health 
Equity Act, a bill that has been introduced by my friend from the other 
side of the aisle, Senator Jeanne Shaheen. I am pleased to start the 
111th Congress in a bipartisan fashion and to support legislation that 
addresses an issue that is extremely important to our Nation's heroic 
military veterans, especially in my home State of New Hampshire.
  This important piece of legislation, which I hope will have the 
Senate's full support, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs 
to guarantee that veterans in every State have access to instate 
hospital care. More specifically, the Veteran's Health Equity Act would 
require the VA to either provide a full-service VA hospital in every 
State or contract with one or a number of full-service hospitals to 
provide veterans with a comparable level of care.
  At this time, New Hampshire, like Alaska and Hawaii, is without a 
full-service VA hospital and veterans are being forced to travel to 
Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont in order to receive necessary medical 
treatment. Oftentimes, especially during the winter months, interstate 
travel can be extremely dangerous in New England, and our veterans 
should not be forced to travel long distances in order to receive the 
medical care they have earned and deserve.
  I will continue to press the VA until veterans have access to local, 
full-service medical care. Our Nation's veterans, who have selflessly 
served our country, are owed high-quality medical care in exchange for 
their courageous service. The Veteran's Health Equity Act will 
guarantee that they receive that care in a local health care facility.
                                 ______