SENATE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES AKAKA FIX FOR VA HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Senate unanimously passed 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 legislation will put to rest any question: veterans’ dependents receiving VA health care meet the new health insurance reform law’s minimum health care coverage standard,” said Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), author of the bill.
This unanimously approved legislation garnered 59 cosponsors during its two days on the floor, before passing the Senate this afternoon. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, individuals must hold a minimum level of health care coverage. Senator 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.
To view the text of the bill and read Senator Akaka’s introduction in the Congressional Record, click here: LINK.
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March 26, 2010
