McMorris Rodgers drops RELIEVE Act to close major VA coverage loophole for vets

By TIMOTHY SCHUMANN

CONTRIBUTOR

THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A bill introduced by eastern Washington U.S. Rep. Kathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, in Congress is aimed at closing a loophole that affects many veterans’ ability to access healthcare when they need it.

“No veteran should ever be kept up at night wondering how they will pay their medical bills after receiving emergency care in the community. But thanks to a loophole in the VA’s coverage policies, that’s exactly what’s happening in Eastern Washington,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers in a statement.

The Removing Extraneous Loopholes Insuring Every Veteran Emergency Act, or RELIEVE Act, is a bipartisan piece of legislation also sponsored by Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, and Rep. Jack Bergman, R-MI.

The text of the bill is short, coming in at a total of just 14 lines, three of which are the title. Yet those 14 lines could mean tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to unlucky veterans.

“Assisting Veterans as they transition between DOD and VA’s care coverage is a

Two adults in kayaks discovered the body of a missing male in the river, according to Mike Eliason, a SBC Fire public information officer. They alerted authorities around 12:52 p.m.

“Resources still on scene,” he said in his original tweet at about 1:52 p.m. His tweets had been updated as of 6 p.m. No other information was available from Santa Barbara County Fire, the Lompoc Police Department or Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

— Neil Hartstein

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All rights are reserved on material produced by the News-Press, including stories, photos, graphics, maps and advertising. News-Press material is the property of Ampersand Publishing LLC. Reproduction or nonpersonal usage for any purpose without written permission of the News-Press is expressly prohibited. Other top priority for me in Congress,” said Rep. Bergman in a statement. “The RELIEVE Act is a much-needed bridge to span that gap and eliminate a dangerous loophole that could impose crippling debt on a recently separated servicemember who sought emergency care.”

Rep. Bergman is no stranger to the transition from DOD to VA care. He rose to the rank of three star general in the United States Marine Corps where he served for 40 years before retiring in 2009.

The law the bill is amending, as it currently

Please see RELIEVE on A4

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