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Washington, D.C.— Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led the entire Minnesota delegation in a bicameral, bipartisan letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough urging to improve veterans’ ability to receive emergency care.
“No veteran should have to wonder how their medical bills will be paid. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for us, and it is unconscionable that they have been saddled with disparate medical costs to receive care when they need it most,” Emmer said.
“We must correct this oversight and remove this barrier to care,” Emmer concluded.
Specifically, the letter asks VA Secretary McDonough to revise their existing rules to treat all emergency transport reimbursements the same way, regardless of a veteran’s service-connected disability rating.
“When we ask our young men and women to defend our nation, we make a promise to be there for them when they return home. And that obligation includes ensuring our veterans have affordable access to the medical care and benefits they deserve,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why Representative Emmer, our entire Congressional delegation and I are urging the VA to prevent veterans from being charged for emergency ambulance transportation costs.”
“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our nation and they are the definition of American Exceptionalism,” said Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08). “It’s critical that they receive the benefits that they’ve earned and deserve, and that includes fair coverage for medical transportation. I’m proud to join the bipartisan group of my Minnesota colleagues to make sure our veterans are cared for at every step while receiving the care they need.”
“Veterans in rural Minnesota do not always have the ability to go to VA medical facilities to receive urgent care treatment. Veterans who need emergency transportation to in-network, non-VA medical facilities should not be punished due to lack of access,” said Representative Michelle Fischbach (MN-07). “We must ensure that veterans in rural Minnesota have access to the care they need and deserve. In order to do that, we have to make sure that emergency transportation to their nearest in-network provider is covered.”
“Our veterans should receive the best standard of care possible,” said Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05). “It’s unacceptable that those who have served our country are currently paying absurd emergency transportation bills due to a bureaucratic processing issue. I’m glad to join my colleagues in the Minnesota delegation in the call to fix this injustice and ensure our veterans receive coverage for medical transportation expenses.”
Representative Brad Finstad (MN-01) said, “We owe it to our veterans to give them the best care possible; so when our veterans seek care at the emergency room, they shouldn’t be left to pay the bill for the ambulance ride. Requiring the VA to cover emergency medical transportation for emergency medical treatment is a commonsense fix that would eliminate a significant out-of-pocket cost for the men and women who have served our country.”
“Transportation costs should never be a barrier to receiving emergency medical care, especially for the heroic men and women who have served this country in uniform. As a Gold Star Son, I firmly believe it is our responsibility to provide our veterans with the highest quality care and benefits available, without dealing with the headaches of determining what care is in-network, especially during a medical emergency. My team and I have heard the stories of veterans in my district who were left with a crushing and unexpected ambulance bill resulting from a life-altering medical crisis. It is time we addressed this loophole that has caused too many veterans to slip through the cracks, preventing them from receiving the coverage that they deserve under the MISSION Act,” said Representative Dean Phillips (MN-03).
“Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed a tremendous amount to protect us – and it’s completely unacceptable to me that so many of our veterans are facing serious challenges accessing high-quality health care when they return home,” said Representative Angie Craig (MN-02). “Today, I am joining the rest of my colleagues from Minnesota in calling on the Veterans’ Health Administration to ensure our veterans are covered throughout every aspect of emergency health care – from transportation to treatment.”
Background:
Under the VA Mission Act, which became law in 2018, emergency transportation and treatment at in-network, non-Veterans Health Administration facilities became eligible for reimbursement. However, the VA is currently processing emergency land or air ambulance service claims as beneficiary travel, which restricts coverage to veterans with a disability rating (that is, the designation given to the severity of a service-connected disability used to calculate how much disability compensation a veteran receives) of 30% or more.
This method of reimbursement has left a large group of veterans with burdensome unpaid emergency travel bills, at a time when emergency travel has risen nearly eighteen percent. Based on an audit conducted by the VA office of the Inspector General, 31 percent of denied or rejected non-VA emergency care claims were inappropriately processed.
You can read the letter in full here.
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