Currently, states receive a federal "per diem" payment to assist the state in caring for each wartime veteran who resides in a qualified State Veterans Home. A recent administrative ruling put into question whether these federal "per diem" payments could be reduced if the patient also receives Medicaid coverage. The Campbell-Collins legislation would protect those VA dollars from being taken away from State Veterans Homes.
"Veterans have earned their health care benefits, which they often need to take care of ailments they suffered in serving our country. Those benefits should not be taken away from them for any reason," said Senator Collins. "Per diem payments are a critical source of funding for the state veterans homes because Medicaid often does not pay the State Veterans Homes enough to cover the actual costs of caring for the veterans. It would be contrary to the intent of Congress, when it established the VA payment system, for these dollars to be redirected elsewhere."
The Campbell-Collins legislation has the support of Maine Veterans Homes.