red, white, and blue star with initials B V A

The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), the only Veterans Service Organization (VSO) exclusively dedicated to serving our nation’s blinded veterans and their families, was among a coalition of 11 VSO advocates participating in a January 19 roundtable discussion of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs focused on H.R. 3967, the “Honoring our PACT Act of 2021.” The virtual roundtable was hosted by Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA-41) and Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-IL-12).

Passage of the Honoring our PACT Act would expand the presumption of service connection to 3.5 million veterans for in-service toxic exposures, including exposures to herbicides, radiation, and burn pits. The legislation would thereby expand for such veterans the eligibility for VA health care.

According to Jim Vale, BVA’s National Service Director, Veterans Benefits & Policy, BVA cautiously supports this expansion of benefits because most Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers and Outpatient Clinics are already understaffed and operating at capacity. Unless additional funding is provided, he added: “How can VA possibly absorb more patients?”

Jim expressed concern that the resulting burden could fall on VA’s Community Care Networks.

“Rural community care providers are already strained due to absorbing TRICARE dependents that have been offloaded by the Department of Defense’s Military Treatment Facilities,” he said. “Are we unintentionally creating a perfect storm?”

Jim further stressed that the problem with expansion of VA compensation benefits, paid under mandatory spending, is that more veterans will seek medical care, which is paid under discretionary spending. This mismatch, he believes, may lead to budget shortfalls at medical facilities and, ultimately, the rationing of VA health care.

For the full text of the Honoring our PACT Act, (CLICK HERE). To view the roundtable, (CLICK HERE).