Today I stood with New Hampshire veterans in Concord to announce that I will be co-sponsoring the Veterans Travel Equity Act, bipartisan legislation that would increase the mileage reimbursement rate for veterans traveling to receive health care. I made my announcement after learning last week that the Bush Administration would not support a full service VA Hospital in Manchester and as New Hampshire veterans continue to grapple with record high gas prices.

With gas prices setting new records again and again this year, it is costing New Hampshire veterans more to drive those long distances to get the care they desperately need. Veterans are paying more and driving further to get important medical coverage and that is plain wrong.

The Veterans Travel Equity Act would increase the mileage reimbursement for veterans seeking health care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities, so that it is the same as the mileage reimbursement rate available to federal employees—currently 50.5 cents per mile.

The bill also eliminates the income and pension eligibility requirements and service-connected disability rating requirements. Under current law, only veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 percent or more qualify for or receive the reimbursement.

Without this reimbursement, a Concord veteran would have to pay on average $25 for each roundtrip to the Boston full service VA hospital just to have access to the care they have earned. That is $25 for each trip they take. Over time it adds up and puts additional strains on honorable men and women who served our nation and have earned our support.

The Bush Administration is adding insult to injury to New Hampshire veterans by not upgrading the Manchester facility to a full service hospital. The least we can do for New Hampshire veterans is to help with record high gas prices so they can receive the care they have earned.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am and is filed under Politics .