The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in November of 1999. The bill was designed to improve the care and benefits received by military veterans in the United States. In his statement at the signing of the bill, Clinton said the legislation "is especially significant for its approach in the provision of enhanced extended-care services to veterans." The bill passed both houses of Congress unanimously.
Long-term care
The law requires that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) place top priority on nursing home care for the most seriously disabled veterans and those veterans with disabilities related to their military service. Other veterans are required to provide co-payments, based on their ability to pay, with a portion of their funds supporting expanded long-term care benefits for all veterans. The law also requires access for those enrolled in VA health care to such services as geriatric care and adult day care.
New opportunities
The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act expanded the number of ways that military retirees can receive health care services at the expense of the Department of Defense, according to Clinton's signing statement. For instance, it expanded eligibility for veterans to be reimbursed for emergency care visits when VA or other federal health care facilities were not an option.
Substance Abuse and Sexual Trauma
The law extended and expanded the power of the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer health care services to victims of sexual trauma, according to Clinton's signing statement. In addition, the law increased the number of active duty members of the military able to access substance abuse treatment programs that were offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Revenues
The law expanded the ability of the VA to raise revenues from the veterans it serves, including raising the price of co-payments for certain services and products. In particular, it allowed for increasing the amount of co-payments on prescription drugs and on certain costly items, such as hearing aids, when the need for the product was not tied directly to an injury suffered in the military service.
Other changes
The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act included some provisions not apparently connected to health care. Those changes include an extension of the authority of the VA to provide grants to homeless veterans and changing the criteria for providing grants for the renovation or construction of veterans' homes.
Tags: Care Benefits, health care, Health Care Benefits, Millennium Health, Millennium Health Care, Veterans Millennium
