Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas talks about progress with the VA

Senior Community Bulletin
Winter Park/Maitland Observer - Winter Park,FL,USA

June 4, 2009

Congresswoman, Suzanne Kosmas announced that the Veterans Administration will begin processing applications for the higher education benefits available through the New GI Bill. The GI Bill for the 21st Century, which was passed by Congress and signed into law last year, provides a full, four-year college education to any veteran who has served since September 11, 2001 for at least 90 aggregate days or at least 30 days with a disability discharge.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun processing applications for the new benefit program, and veterans will be able to use the new educational benefits beginning Aug. 1. Congresswoman Kosmas encouraged all eligible veterans to visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/ to sign up or call the GI Bill hotline with any questions at 1-888-GIBILL-1. A detailed pamphlet on the GI Bill for the 21st Century is available on Congresswoman Kosmas' Web site, www.kosmas.house.gov.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America Central Florida Chapter commends Congress for increasing funding to veterans and moving toward advanced appropriations for VA's healthcare services.

On Wednesday, April 29, Congress passed a budget resolution that provides $53.4 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs. That's almost $5.6 billion more than the previous year's budget, an increase of nearly 12 percent. Additionally, the resolution has a provision creating advance appropriations for the VA's health care services next fiscal year.

The Paralyzed Veterans continues asking representatives and senators to support the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (HR 1016, S 423). That act would permanently mandate advance appropriations for the VA. A bi-partisan mix of 101 representatives and 43 senators has co-sponsored the act. Five of Florida's 25 representatives have become co-sponsors. Advance appropriations would help VA hospitals improve care and reduce patient-waiting times. Officials would be better able to allocate employment and equipment resources if they knew their budgets months ahead. Unlike other hospital systems, the VA cannot borrow against projected future income to add employees or equipment.

Florida has about 1.75 million veterans, about 9 percent of its population. VA spent about $5.5 billion in Florida in 2007 Much of it went toward health services. Through its various health care services VA had 5,263, 276 outpatient and about 46,000 hospitalizations in 2007. For information, contact Patrick McCallister, Government Relations Director, at 800-940-2378, or patrick.mccallister@yahoo.com.
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