WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced S. 3162, a bill to clarify that the health care VA provides to children with spina bifida born to veterans of the Vietnam War and to some veterans who served in Korea during specified times, as well as to children of women Vietnam veterans with certain birth defects, meets the standard of minimum health care coverage required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

“This technical legislation will clarify that veterans’ dependents receiving VA health care meet the standard of minimum health care coverage,” said Akaka.  

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, individuals must hold a minimum level of health care coverage.  Akaka’s bill would simply clarify that care provided by VA to certain dependents with spina bifida and other birth defects as well as to other dependents under the CHAMPVA program satisfies that requirement.

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March 24, 2010