Senator Collins Discusses Homeless Veterans, Choice Card, With VA Secretary McDonald

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald for an hour this morning to discuss issues important to Maine veterans, including homelessness and the 40-mile rule as it relates to the Veterans Choice Card program.

Senator Collins approached Secretary McDonald about a proposed partnership between the VA in Maine and Volunteers of America (VOA) to provide housing for homeless veterans on a parcel of land at the Togus VA hospital campus. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have set a goal of ending veteran homelessness by the end of this year. To achieve that goal, however, continued investments are needed to meet the needs of homeless veterans.

“Recently Veterans Service Organizations from Maine met with me to explore the opportunity for the Togus campus to provide housing for homeless veterans,” Senator Collins said. “Since that time, I have explored this concept with the HUD Secretary and today, with VA Secretary McDonald, who has designated a top member of his team to work on this issue.”

“I explained to Secretary McDonald that nationally, according to HUD’s ‘Point in Time’ survey, the number of homeless veterans is down 11.7 percent from 2013. In Maine, however, veterans’ homelessness has declined by only 7.9 percent when compared to 2013. We need a more concerted effort to help ensure that those Mainers who served our country in uniform are not homeless,” Senator Collins continued.

The 2014 count indicates that there are 152 homeless veterans in Maine.

Senator Collins noted that many questions remain about financing the project, but that she hopes the high level attention of the Cabinet Secretaries working with Maine veterans groups, Togus officials, the Maine State Housing Authority, VOA, and other potential partners will produce progress.

In addition, Senator Collins stressed the challenges faced by Maine veterans regarding the 40-mile rule in the Veterans Choice Card program. Last month, Senator Collins led a bipartisan group of 40 of her colleagues in expressing concerns about the implementation of the Choice Program enacted by Congress last year. This program allows veterans who live more than 40 miles from the closest VA facility, or who face a significant delay in scheduling an appointment, to access health care at non-VA facilities. Rather than measure the actual distance that the veteran would have to travel, the VA interpreted the 40-mile requirement to mean “as the crow flies.” The eligibility criteria is interpreted so narrowly that it excludes many veterans who are far away from the care they need.

“I was encouraged by Secretary McDonald’s assurances that he is reviewing the interpretation of the 40-mile requirement. I gave him examples of veterans in rural Maine who would have to drive twice that distance to access care at a VA facility, even though ‘as the crow flies,’ the distance is under 40 miles,” said Senator Collins. “I am hopeful that our veterans will soon see a change in the VA’s policy.”

Senator Collins said that she also had the opportunity to discuss care for women veterans, mental health services to reduce suicides among veterans, the VA budget, and other issues with the Secretary.