COLLINS-BACKED LEGISLATION TO ASSIST VETERANS PASSES SENATE

Washington, DC – The Senate has approved The Veterans Health Programs Improvement Act, to improve care for our nation's veterans and the facilities that serve them. This bill includes provisions based on legislation that Senator Collins introduced earlier this year that clarifies the rules that determine the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) distributes funds to support State Veterans Homes across the country.

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 questioned whether these federal "per diem" payments could be reduced if the patient also receives Medicaid coverage. This legislation protects these VA dollars from being taken away from State Veterans Homes.

"Many veterans depend on health care benefits in order to recover from injuries they suffered as a result of serving our country. And there is no reason for these benefits to be taken away," Senator Collins said. "Federal per diem payments are critical to the success of State Veterans Homes and this legislation ensures that this funding will continue. It would be contrary to the intent of Congress, when it established the VA payment system, for these dollars to be redirected elsewhere."

The bill, which is supported by the Maine Veterans Homes, is an important step in ensuring that State Veterans Homes across the country continue to receive the VA payments they need in order to provide important services to our nation's veterans.

This legislation now awaits action in the House of Representatives.

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