Delaney Legislation to Help Veterans Passes Financial Services Committee

Mar 21, 2018
Press Release
Delaney’s Protecting Veterans Credit Act ensures that credit ratings are not harmed by delayed VA payments

WASHINGTON – Today the House Financial Services Committee voted to approve legislation by Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6) to protect the credit scores of veterans dealing with delayed payments associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Choice Program and other VA Community Care programs.

Congressman Delaney’s Protecting Veterans Credit Act (H.R. 2683) passed the committee in a 59-0 vote. Congressman Randy Hultgren (IL-14) is the lead Republican on the bill, which currently has 33 cosponsors.

“We’ve got to make this right,” said Congressman Delaney. “No veteran should have their credit harmed because of the government’s mistake. This is really compounding a problem for a lot of men and women who have served our country, because they’re already using the Veterans Choice Program because of other delays or inadequacies in the system and then to be hit with these incorrect bills is really a double-whammy. So this is a commonsense, straight to the point, bipartisan bill that addresses this problem. I thank Rep. Hultgren for his partnership on this bill, appreciate the support of the committee and look forward to seeing it on the House floor.”

The legislation creates a one year credit reporting grace period for the resolution of debt from medical services related to the VA’s Community Care programs. Delayed disbursement of associated VA payments has meant that potentially thousands of veterans could have large and inaccurate medical debts listed in their name as the VA and private providers work through billing. This can make it more difficult and more expensive for veterans to buy a home or car, rent a place to live or be hired at a new job.

The bill has been endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Association of the United States Navy.

Enacted in 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Choice Program provides veterans with the ability to receive medical care in a non-VA facility if the VA cannot schedule an appointment within a specified time period or if the veteran lives more than 40 miles from the closest VA medical facility. Unfortunately, there have been widespread delays of Choice Program payments and inappropriately assigned bills to veterans. After setting up a hotline to help veterans enrolled in the Choice Program with these credit and billing issues, the VA received roughly 74,000 calls in the course of 14 months, illustrating the extent of the problem this bill seeks to address.

 

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