Veterans' Health Care Reform Gets Cut From 2018 Budget Deal

By: Cmdr. René Campos, USN (Ret)

A contentious battle played out between the House and Senate last week as some lawmakers pressed to get veterans' and caregivers' health care reform provisions into the massive omnibus spending bill, which was on a fast track to get to the president's desk to prevent another government shutdown.

The 2,232-page bill eventually was signed Friday afternoon. However, it was missing a massive piece of reform legislation that MOAA, other veterans service organizations (VSOs), and many lawmakers and administration officials were hoping to get signed into law. That version of the draft reform bill would overhaul and consolidate all seven disparate VA community care programs into a single program to deliver private-sector care, and it included provisions to expand comprehensive caregiver support to veterans of all eras. The bill also contained the requirement for a systematic review of VA infrastructure with an eye on disposing of aging or unused buildings or realigning facilities across the country.