September 22, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 164 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN PARITY IN ACCESS TO CARE TODAY ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 164
(House of Representatives - September 22, 2020)
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[Pages H4678-H4679] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN PARITY IN ACCESS TO CARE TODAY ACT Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4908) to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the collection of a health care copayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a veteran who is a member of an Indian tribe, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4908 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Native American Veteran Parity in Access to Care Today Act'' or ``Native American PACT Act''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF A HEALTH CARE COPAYMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FROM A VETERAN WHO IS A MEMBER OF AN INDIAN TRIBE. (a) In General.--Section 1730A of title 38, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in the heading, by striking ``catastrophically disabled'' and inserting ``certain''; (2) by inserting ``(a) Prohibition.--'' before ``Notwithstanding''; (3) by striking ``a veteran who is catastrophically disabled, as defined by the Secretary,'' and inserting ``a covered veteran''; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(b) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term `covered veteran' means a veteran who-- ``(1) is catastrophically disabled, as defined by the Secretary; or ``(2) is an Indian or urban Indian, as those terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Public Law 94-437; 25 U.S.C. 1603).''. (b) Technical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section 1730A and inserting the following: ``1730A. Prohibition on collection of copayments from certain veterans.''. (c) Delayed Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the day that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California. General Leave Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 3908, as amended. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California? There was no objection. Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4908, as amended, the Native American PACT Act. The Federal Government has a legal and moral obligation to uphold its treaty obligations to Tribal nations, which include the provision of healthcare. Our responsibility to ensure care is compounded when American Indians and Alaska Natives serve this country in uniform. While largely provided by the Indian Health Service and Tribal Health Programs, the healthcare obligations of the United States do not start and stop [[Page H4679]] with one agency. For decades, VA has not recognized the unique status of Native veterans and has charged them copays for care provided at VA. For far too many Native Americans, particularly those in rural areas, the copay burden is a barrier to care. These veterans, who may be unable to access specialty care from their Tribal health systems, are then unable to access VA due to cost. Eliminating the copay burden is a step toward upholding the treaties between the United States and Tribal nations while also bringing immediate relief to veterans unable to access care during these distressing times. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Gallego for his steadfast leadership on this issue. I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4908, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4908, the Native American Veteran Parity in Access to Care Today Act, or PACT Act. The care that the Department of Veterans Affairs provides to veterans for conditions that are related to military service are always provided at no cost to the veteran. Veterans being cared for by VA for conditions that are unrelated to their military service may be charged a copayment to offset the cost of care and encourage appropriate use of the VA healthcare system. According to the Government Accountability Office and the National Council of American Indians, approximately one-third of American Indian and Alaska Native veterans were charged copayments from VA in fiscal year 2017. Those copayments averaged just under $300 per veteran. However, almost a century ago, Congress passed the Snyder Act, which guaranteed healthcare to Native Americans free of charge. In recognition of that, the Native American PACT Act would prohibit VA from charging copayments to Native American veterans regardless of whether the care they receive from the VA is for a service-connected condition or not. There is no ethnic group that volunteers to defend the United States in uniform at a higher rate than Native Americans whose history of service to this country dates back to the Revolutionary War. This bill would increase access to care for those brave veterans and create parity between the care provided to them through the VA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Indian Health Service. It would also uphold the United States Government's longstanding trust and treaty responsibilities to the Native American community. The Native American PACT Act is sponsored by my colleague and fellow veteran, Congressman Ruben Gallego from Arizona. I am glad to stand with him in support of its passage today. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I too ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4908, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4908, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
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