[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 48 (Monday, December 6, 1999)]
[Pages 2473-2474]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits 
Act

November 30, 1999

    Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 2116, the ``Veterans 
Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act.'' This comprehensive bill will 
improve a broad array of benefits and services for those to whom we owe 
our freedoms--our Nation's veterans.
    This bill is especially significant for its approach in the 
provision of enhanced extended-care services to veterans. It firmly 
establishes that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should accord 
the highest priority for nursing home care to the most severely disabled 
veterans and those needing care for service-connected disabilities. It 
will also ensure that veterans enrolled in the VA health care system 
receive noninstitutional, extended-care services, including geriatric 
evaluations and adult day health care.
    The bill also expands opportunities for military retirees to utilize 
VA health care services, at Department of Defense (DoD) expense and in 
accordance with an agreement to be developed by DoD and VA. The DoD and 
VA will ensure this agreement allows for the provision of high-quality 
managed care and increased choice, in the most cost-effective manner for 
the Federal Government.
    This bill includes many other important health care provisions. For 
example, H.R. 2116:
<bullet>    Expands veterans' eligibility for reimbursement of emergency 
            care costs when VA or other Federal health care facilities 
            are not accessible.
<bullet>    Extends and expands VA's authority to provide health care 
            services to victims of sexual trauma.
<bullet>    Makes more active duty personnel eligible for VA substance 
            dependency treatment.
<bullet>    Authorizes VA to update the schedule of copayments charged 
            for certain health care benefits to generate additional 
            program funds.
    I am also pleased that the bill will make it easier for surviving 
spouses of disabled former prisoners of war to qualify for survivor 
benefits; expand certain education benefit entitlements; extend VA's 
authority to guarantee home loans for members of the Selected Reserve; 
and both extend and enhance programs for homeless veterans.
    These are but the high points of a
comprehensive bill that will enhance many benefits and services our 
veterans and their families justly deserve. I thank all who were 
involved in its passage.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
November 30, 1999.

Note: H.R. 2116, approved November 30, was assigned Public Law No. 106-
117.

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