House Passes Veterans’ Health Care Bill with Funding for Two Maryland Veterans Clinics | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

July 14, 2022

Invoice will return to the Senate for approval earlier than advancing to President Biden to be signed into regulation

Right this moment, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, and Anthony G. Brown (all D-Md.) introduced the Home passage of laws to open two veterans clinics in Baltimore and Prince George’s County. The bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Handle Complete Toxics Act (PACT Act) which handed yesterday by a vote of 342-88, offers healthcare advantages for all generations of toxic-exposed veterans for the primary time within the nation’s historical past and can enhance entry to take care of all those that served in our nation’s armed forces. The invoice now returns to the Senate for last approval, after which it’ll go to President Biden to be signed into regulation.

The lawmakers fought to incorporate authorization and funding for the 2 Maryland veterans’ well being clinics – one within the Baltimore area and one other in Prince George’s County. $43 million will help the development of a brand new Baltimore Neighborhood Based mostly Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), which can substitute and increase the outpatient companies presently supplied on the present Baltimore VA Clinic Annex on Fayette Avenue whereas decreasing the pressure on the Baltimore VA Medical Middle. $32 million is put aside for the development of a Prince George’s CBOC; this new facility can be considerably bigger than the present clinic within the southern a part of the county and signify a significant improve for space veterans, as the brand new clinic can be outfitted to offer companies past the capabilities of the present clinic in addition to the Southeast D.C. CBOC.

“We’ve bought to maintain our guarantees to veterans who put themselves as danger to serve our nation, and that features guaranteeing they’ve entry to high-quality well being care. The bipartisan PACT Act will do exactly that – investing $75 million in new and upgraded outpatient clinics that can assist ship much-needed companies to Maryland veterans,” stated Senator Van Hollen. “This can be a large win for our communities and a vital step ahead in bettering the community of take care of veterans throughout our state whereas additionally making a historic funding in care and advantages for veterans uncovered to toxins. That’s why we’ll proceed working to get it to the President’s desk so it may be signed into regulation as quickly as potential.”

“Maryland veterans served this nation with honor and so they deserve entry to top-notch well being care companies in a well timed and handy method,” stated Senator Cardin. “Offering well being care advantages to the hundreds of American veterans uncovered to toxins emanating from burn pits is important. Increasing the community of Neighborhood Based mostly Outpatient Clinics accessible to Baltimore space veterans and enormously upgrading the services and companies for veterans inside Prince George’s County will carry such wanted, state-of-the-art well being care companies inside simpler attain for all veterans who name Maryland dwelling.”

“The values of our state are mirrored in how we deal with and take care of our veterans,” stated Congressman Steny Hoyer. “This can be a sturdy piece of laws that can make a distinction within the lives of Prince George’s County veterans and their households, and I used to be so glad to make sure it handed the Home. I sit up for proceed working with the Congressional Delegation within the Home to increase and enhance the companies and assets accessible to our veteran communities.” 

“Enhancing the community of Neighborhood Based mostly Outpatient Clinics will assist ship the standard well being care that Maryland’s veterans deserve,” stated Congressman John Sarbanes. “I’m happy the Home has handed this bipartisan laws to fund two new Maryland CBOC services and increase take care of veterans nationwide, particularly these uncovered to poisonous chemical substances.”

“We owe a terrific debt of gratitude to our veterans as a nation, so it’s a privilege to battle for them in Congress,” stated Congressman Kweisi Mfume. “Serving to to satisfy the well being care wants of veterans is only one side of the work we do every day to honor them for his or her service.”

“We make a sacred promise to our servicemembers after they return dwelling – to offer our veterans with one of the best well being care our nation has to supply. Essential to upholding that promise, is a dedication to entry within the communities our veterans reside in,” stated Congressman Anthony Brown. “This laws and funding will assist meet Maryland veterans the place they’re and supply the standard care that they deserve. We’ll by no means cease preventing for the courageous women and men who’ve served and we’ll all the time have their backs.”

Further Background on the Baltimore and Prince George’s County CBOC Plans

For the Baltimore CBOC, this laws offers for a lease of an roughly 112,624 sq. foot outpatient clinic, together with 800 parking areas. The brand new facility would allow VA to boost outpatient companies and supply extra main care area than is presently accessible on the Baltimore VA Clinic Annex.

For the Prince George’s County clinic, the PACT Act offers for a lease of an roughly 85,116 sq. foot outpatient clinic, together with 600 parking areas. The brand new facility would allow VA to accommodate the workload that the Southern Prince George’s County and Southeast D.C. CBOCs presently service, which has elevated for the reason that closure of the Greenbelt CBOC in 2015, and permit extra sufferers to obtain care nearer to their houses.

Each clinics will permit for the total implementation of the Affected person Aligned Care Workforce (PACT) mannequin of care supply, bettering operational efficiencies and the veteran expertise. They are going to be state-of-the-art, energy-efficient well being care services providing main care, psychological well being, specialty care, and ancillary companies to veterans.

In regards to the PACT Act

• Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson deployed to Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio Nationwide Guard. He died in 2020 from poisonous publicity because of his army service. Amongst its many priorities, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 will: 
• Increase VA well being care eligibility to Put up-9/11 fight veterans, which incorporates greater than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans;
• Create a framework for the institution of future presumptions of service connection associated to poisonous publicity;
• Add 23 burn pit and poisonous exposure-related situations to VA’s checklist of service presumptions, together with hypertension;
• Increase presumptions associated to Agent Orange publicity;
• Consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll as areas for Agent Orange publicity;
• Strengthen federal analysis on poisonous publicity;
• Enhance VA’s assets and coaching for toxic-exposed veterans; and
• Set VA and veterans up for fulfillment by investing in:
• VA claims processing;
• VA’s workforce; and
• VA well being care services.
• Set up 31 new VA well being care services throughout 19 states, together with the 2 in Maryland.