Va Billing Accountability Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for his leadership, as well. There seems to be a lot of Minnesotans very concerned about this issue.

I rise today in support of H.R. 1972, the VA Billing Accountability Act, authored by my colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Lloyd Smucker. I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation.

During my time in Congress, I have been privileged to meet with many of our Nation's veterans. Far too often, our Nation's heroes do not get the treatment and care they deserve.

During my early days in Congress, nearly 1,500 instances of the delayed payment of veterans' medical bills were uncovered at a local VA in my home State of Minnesota. Without notification or explanation, veterans were seeing their monthly statement increase by hundreds of dollars, understandably causing panic and worry.

After Congress got involved, the VA helped our veterans by outlining explanations for the charges, repayment options, and above all, offering them reassurance and relief from the stress and anxiety they were experiencing. This story is one of the many illustrating the need for the VA Billing Accountability Act.

This issue is not unique to Minnesota. In 2015, 1.7 million improper bills were issued by the VA, leading to $13.9 erroneously collected from our Nation's heroes.

Veterans and their loved ones have sacrificed so much in defense of our Nation. Unacceptable delays in payment and billing errors intensify the care disparity veterans already face. The VA must be held accountable, and H.R. 1972 is the first step in creating a more transparent Veterans Administration.

Specifically, the bill will authorize the VA to waive payment for delayed bills that veterans receive due to VA error.

Minnesota is home to 337,362 veterans, each of whom deserves quality care without the stress and anxiety caused by unexpected or incorrect billings. Our Nation's servicemembers should not have to pay for errors or delays caused by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank Representative Smucker for his leadership on this issue; as well as Chairman Roe; my colleague, the ranking member from Minnesota's Seventh District, and the entire staff of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their hard work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1972.

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