Cartwright’s bill to protect veterans passes House

Nov. 10--U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-17, Moosic, wants to "root out a reprehensible type of scam" afflicting vulnerable veterans.

A bill, which he introduced, passed this week in the U.S. House and would bring about rules that could thwart the efforts of people pretending to be financial advisers helping housebound veterans obtain benefits, charging fees for a phony service.

"I'm very happy to announce this morning we secured bipartisan passage, in the House, next the Senate, of HR 3122 The Veterans Care Financial Protection Act," Cartwright said during a conference call Thursday. "This is a bipartisan, bicameral, commonsense proposal to protect our nation's veterans from financial scams."

The bill calls on the Veterans Administration to coordinate with other federal, state and outside agencies to come up with and implement standards that would protect elderly or disabled veterans from predatory practices disguised as financial advice.

The impetus for the bill was the abuse of an Aid & Attendance benefit for veterans who qualify for a VA pension who also need financial help with in-home care or assisted living.

"Unfortunately, what has come to our attention is there is a number of unscrupulous actors who are aware of this benefit and (use it) to prey upon our older veterans' vulnerability," Cartwright said.

While the A&A application is free, scam artists have offered advice and help to veterans with the application process and charged them fees. Cartwright said that he was aware of a case where the victim paid $800 for the unneeded service.

"It doesn't cost anything to sign up for this benefit," Cartwright said, adding that if someone needs help with an application, they can find it with the American Legion and other organizations.

The pecuniary predation goes further than that, however. With the information gained from the application process, scammers can take a hold of the veteran's assets, and may even move them into an irrevocable trust or an annuity. This movement of assets may also disqualify the veteran from other assistance, such as Medicaid.

"This is the last thing we want to see happen to our American heroes," Cartwright said.

The bill itself does not impose any measures, but requires the VA to quickly do so and calls for a Government Accountability Office report in 18 months after the bill's enactment on the effectiveness of the measures. The onus is on the VA firstly, and the U.S. Department of Justice and state agencies.

Asked if the standards could impose penalties and fines, Cartwright said, "I would envision both of those things coming into play."

He did not know how often the scams occur, the bill having originated in the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs, being prompted by frequent complaints from victims, more so than from law enforcement reports.

The bill was passed Monday unanimously in the House and Cartwright, confident of passage in the Senate, praised his colleagues.

"Scam artists are turning well-deserved benefits into a financial nightmare for those who can least afford it," he said. "This bipartisan, commonsense proposal will help protect veterans from financial scams. We owe this to our nation's heroes. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to encourage them to act quickly on passage."

Cartwright represents the state's 17th Congressional District, which includes Schuylkill County and portions of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Northampton counties. Cartwright serves on the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee for Oversight and Government Reform.

Contact the writer: bsmith@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6005

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