FederalDaily - December 12, 2006
Congress OKs Veterans Benefits Bill
Congress cleared and sent to President Bush a measure that would authorize an array of Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical projects and mandate a VA information technology refit. The
bill (S 3421), which passed the House on Dec. 8 and the Senate on Dec. 9, also would allow veterans
to hire attorneys to help them navigate the benefit claims process. The bill also establishes an Office
of Rural Health Care within the VA to assist the approximately 6 million veterans who live in rural
communities. Because of long distances and other difficulties often associated with obtaining care,
many rural veterans put off preventive as well as necessary treatment, said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.,
co-author of the measure. “Veterans living in rural areas are in poorer health and pay more for
health care than veterans living in urban areas,” Thune said. “This provision will create
a high-level office responsible for coordinating care to this vital constituency.” To see more,
go to: http://thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=
PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=376&Month=12&Year=2006
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Nicholson: Vets to Get Insurance Dividends
More than a million veterans are in line next year to share $369 million in annual insurance payments
as part of their life insurance policies through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The dividend
payments will be sent to an estimated 1.2 million holders of VA insurance policies on the anniversary
date of their policies, said VA Secretary Jim Nicholson. VA operates one of the nation’s largest
life insurance programs, providing more than $1 trillion in coverage to 4.5 million servicemembers,
spouses and children. Sent automatically through different payment plans, the amounts will vary based
on the age of the veteran, the type of insurance and the length of time the policy has been in force.
Dividends are paid each year to veterans holding certain government life insurance policies and who
served between 1917 and 1956. To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1258
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Lawmakers Adopt Postal Bill
The Senate and House approved legislation that will relieve the U.S. Postal Service from paying retirement
benefits earned by its employees during the years they were in military service, as well as revamp
the USPS rate-making process. Under the measure (H.R. 6407), the cost of those benefits—about
$27 billion—will be paid by the Treasury Department. When it is signed by President Bush, this
will become the first comprehensive overhaul of USPS since the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, which
transformed the old cabinet-level Post Office Department into the USPS. “We are grateful that
the funding for USPS retiree military service obligations will be borne by the Treasury,” Postmaster
General John Potter said on Dec. 9. “This, combined with release of the escrow funds, will be
used for retiree health benefits.” The compromise legislation was brokered by Sens. Susan Collins,
R-Maine, and Tom Carper, D-Del, and Reps. Tom Davis, R-Va., and Henry Waxman, D-Calif. To see more,
go to: www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2006/pr06_pmg1209.htm
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