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They fixed it!
Looks like all the hell we've been raising has finally paid off! Here is the final version of the "new" version amended by the VA for "priority" health care.
********** SUMMARY: This document amends VA's medical regulations to establish that in scheduling appointments for non-emergency outpatient medical services and admissions for inpatient hospital care, VA will give priority to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or greater and veterans needing care for a service-connected disability. The Veterans' Eligibility Reform Act of 1996 authorizes VA to ensure that these two categories of veterans receive priority access to this type of care. The intended effect of this interim final rule is to carry out that authority. DATES: Effective Date: September 17, 2002. Comment Date: Comments must be received on or before November 18, 2002. ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-deliver written comments to: Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW., Room 1154, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9289; or e-mail comments to OGCRegulations@mail.va.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AL39.'' All comments received will be [[Page 58529]] available for public inspection in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hertz, Office of Policy and Planning (105D), at (202) 273-8934 or Roscoe Butler, Chief Policy & Operations, Health Administration Service (10C3), at (202) 273-8302. These individuals are in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and are located at 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Veterans' Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, Public Law No. 104-262 (Eligibility Reform Act) amended title 38, United States Code, to authorize VA to provide needed inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical services to most veterans. That law also directs VA to establish a national patient enrollment system to manage the provision of that care and services. The law directs VA to enroll veterans for care in accordance with priorities set forth in the statute, and requires that most veterans formally enroll with VA in order to receive care from VA. However, the law also specifically provides that the Secretary shall provide care to certain veterans without their needing to enroll. Included are veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or greater and veterans needing care for a service-connected disability. Allowing those veterans to receive care without regard to enrollment effectively gives them priority over all other veterans. The legislative history of the Eligibility Reform Act also includes references to Congress' intent that these two groups of veterans, those with a very high claim to VA services, should have priority access to care. VA established an enrollment system through rules promulgated at 38 CFR 17.36 and 17.37. Those rules provide that veterans with disabilities rated 50 percent or greater, and veterans needing care for a service-connected disability, need not enroll to receive care from VA. The rules do not, however, afford those two groups of veterans with special priority access to VA outpatient medical services or inpatient hospital care, as authorized by law. This interim final rule rectifies that matter and expressly provides for that priority access. Moreover, it provides such priority to these veterans regardless of whether they are enrolled in the VA health care system. Administrative Procedure Act Since hundreds of thousands of our core constituency veterans are currently on waiting lists causing delays in their receiving treatment, we have found good cause to dispense with the notice-and-comment and delayed effective date provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). Compliance with such provisions would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest. *************
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Gimpy "MUD GRUNT/RIVERINE" "I ain't no fortunate son"--CCR "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war..........We have felt - we still feel - the passion of life to its top.........In our youth our hearts were touched with fire" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
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#2
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Great Job everybody
We won another one. Party starts now.
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#3
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Man this is the best news
I have read in a very very long time!!! God it makes me feel good to know that somebody at the top is listening.
Alright now the next step is to clean up the claims processing mess it is taking to damn long. Someone make me a happy woman and draft petition for it. Gimpy? LOL! Party time.... Everybody get on your feet.. You make me nervous when your in your seat.. Take off your shoes and throw 'em away come back and get 'em another day.. barefootin' barefootin....
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Thomas Jefferson, Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: "In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." |
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You made this vets rainy day alot better with this. Thanks Gimpy. rest assured my comments are e-mailing their way now. xgrunt
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Our Factories are all Overseas all we produce here are Rich EXECUTIVES! |
#5
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Excellent news I guess we do not need the petitions anymore so if no one objects I will close them down.
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#6
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Thanks guys and gals
But all the "kudos" go to you and the thousands of others that responded to the "call" for action on this issue.
When we can show a "united" front on issues as we did this time we CAN make a difference. PS----Sparrow, I've got something in mind for the disability claims fiasco coming shortly. Gimmie a while and I'll post it and maybe we can get David to help us some more.
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Gimpy "MUD GRUNT/RIVERINE" "I ain't no fortunate son"--CCR "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war..........We have felt - we still feel - the passion of life to its top.........In our youth our hearts were touched with fire" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
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Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
THey fixed it! | Gimpy | Vietnam | 3 | 09-23-2002 05:55 AM |
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