Reps. Finstad and Peters Introduce Bill to Modernize VA Health Insurance Application for Veteran Families

WASHINGTON, June 23 -- Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release:

Representatives Brad Finstad (MN-01) and Scott Peters (CA-50) introduced bipartisan legislation to build an online application process for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), the program which provides health insurance coverage to a spouse, widow(er), or child of a disabled or deceased veteran.

Currently, applicants can only apply for the program through fax or standard mail service. By streamlining the process and eliminating those barriers, individuals will no longer find themselves susceptible to lapses in coverage. The CHAMPVA Online Act would require VA to establish an online website to submit CHAMPVA applications (in addition to mail or fax) and promote the use of this website to eligible individuals.

"Our permanently disabled veterans and fallen servicemembers deserve to have the peace of mind knowing that their families have access to the benefits and care they have earned for them," said Rep. Finstad. "I am proud to join Rep. Peters in introducing this bipartisan legislation, which will modernize the CHAMPVA program with a streamlined online application process and make the CHAMPVA program more accessible and more efficient so veteran families do not have to jump through unnecessary hoops to obtain benefits that are rightfully theirs."

"CHAMP is an important benefit that eligible individuals and family members in San Diego rely on. Ensuring their care and health coverage is accessible through efficient mediums is how America can keep its promise to our nation's heroes," said Rep Peters. "We need to knock down barriers to care and end delays in benefits enrollment so people can access the care they have earned. Our bill takes a commonsense approach to ensure they have a fast and efficient application process needed to access hard-earned benefits. Congress should pass this commonsense reform immediately."

"THE CHAMPVA Program is a lifeline for the eligible families of disabled and deceased veterans seeking medical coverage. However, accessing this vital VA benefit remains out of grasp for far too many," said Joy Ilem, DAV National Legislative Director. "The CHAMPVA Online Act would ensure that VA lowers the barrier to this crucial benefit by leveraging the technology we use in our everyday lives. These families have served and sacrificed alongside their veterans, and DAV is proud to support this legislation. We thank Reps. Scott Peters and Brad Finstad for his leadership."

"Since our inception, The American Legion has prioritized helping veterans, and their families receive the quality health care they need," said Vincent J. "Jim" Troiola, American Legion National Commander. "On behalf of our nearly 1.7 million members, we applaud Congressman Peters and Congressman Finstad for introducing the CHAMPVA Online Act - which will vastly increase timely access to the care veterans and their families deserve."

"The National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) is grateful for the bipartisan efforts of Rep. Brad Finstad and Rep. Scott Peters to introduce the CHAMPVA Online Act," said Michael McLaughlin, NACVSO Legislative Director. "Issues with the current system of submittal have led application processing times to take up to 12 months in some cases, which is totally unacceptable for providing vital health coverage for the families of permanently and totally disabled veterans. The CHAMPVA Online Act would begin to address those issues by requiring VA to have online submittal offerings for enrollment applications which would help reduce processing times and increase transparency. NACVSO is proud to support this legislation and to work with both Rep. Finstad and Rep. Peters on ensuring that our veteran's families are not forgotten either."

A one-pager on the legislation can be found here (https://scottpeters.house.gov/_cache/files/0/3/033c03a3-8ffb-4962-8ed7-dd489a71c976/2232FD9AB269AE46C6FCD47CF69FC784.one-pager-final.pdf).

Full text of the legislation can be found here (https://scottpeters.house.gov/_cache/files/d/f/df3a0844-f821-4d4c-a3a0-1946f915c2a9/2E810D71828D4D58244FDB39411B0F21.champva-text-final-20230620.pdf).

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Original text here: https://finstad.house.gov/2023/6/reps-finstad-and-peters-introduce-bill-to-modernize-va-health-insurance-application-for-veteran-families