Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and Gil Cisneros (CA-31) introduced the Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act, a bipartisan bill to allow service members to pre-enroll in Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) patient enrollment.
Currently, members of the armed forces cannot apply for VA health care after they are discharged from the military until they receive their official separation documents. The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act would:
- Create a three-year pilot program allowing eligible members to opt-in to VA health care during the 180-day period before their date of separation; and,
- Require the VA to report to Congress annually on the program and pre-enrolled members.
“Our service members should not have to worry about whether their families can receive VA health care as they transition to civilian life. The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act addresses any lapse in care and gives our armed forces the certainty they deserve,” said Congresswoman Kim. “As a wife and sister to U.S. Army veterans, supporting those who served in our nation’s uniform and their families is personal to me. I thank my friends Reps. Carbajal, Ciscomani, Tokuda, Lawler, and Cisneros for joining me in this commonsense effort, and I’ll always have the backs our brave military veterans who had ours.”
“The men and women who serve our nation put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, we need to ensure that our veterans receive the care they deserve without delay,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation that will eliminate gaps in health care coverage, ensuring they receive timely and uninterrupted care as they transition back to civilian life.”
“As the Representative to nearly 80,000 veterans, I often hear about the difficulties they face as they transition back into civilian life,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “We must take every action to make this transition as smooth as possible and ensure that our veterans receive the health care and benefits their service earned. However, under current law, when members of the military leave their service, they are not eligible to receive certain veterans benefits until they receive their official separation documents, which can result in months-long gaps in coverage. This is unacceptable, which is why I am proud to partner with Rep. Young Kim on this critical legislation to ensure our veterans are taken care of from day one.”
“Transitioning to civilian life can be very challenging for our servicemembers and waiting for health care should not be an added burden. Coming from a family of veterans, their care is extremely important and personal to me,” said U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02). “That’s why I am proud to join Rep. Young Kim in introducing this bill, so servicemembers don’t have to wait for health care and have timely access to benefits they so greatly need and deserve. They have sacrificed so much for our country and it’s our turn to take care of them.”
“The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act is a critical measure that will ensure our veterans get the care they need after they finish their military service. We can never truly repay them and their families for their sacrifices on behalf of our nation, but we can make it easier for them to access VA healthcare and ensure continuity of coverage – which is precisely what this legislation will do. I’m proud to be working in a bipartisan way to support this bill and look forward to continuing the vital work of supporting our veterans,” said Congressman Lawler.
“As a veteran, I know firsthand the challenges that servicemembers and their families face when they leave military service and begin to reintegrate into civilian life. The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act helps ensure that our veterans can receive the vital healthcare and benefits they deserve once they transition back into our communities. The way we can honor the service of our nation’s military retirees and their families is by focusing the necessary attention on this crucial period in their lives and address gaps of care when a servicemember transitions,” said Congressman Cisneros.
Read the bill HERE.
