LegiStorm

Summary:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides benefits to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. Benefits to veterans range from disability compensation and pensions to hospital and medical care. The VA provides these benefits through three major operating units: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). This report focuses on funding for the VHA. The VHA is primarily a direct service provider of primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services to veterans through the nation's largest integrated health care system. Eligibility for VA health care is based primarily on previous military service, disability, and income. VA provides free inpatient and outpatient medical care to veterans for service-connected conditions and to low-income veterans for nonservice-connected conditions. The President's FY2013 budget request was submitted to Congress on February 13, 2012. The President's budget requested $135.6 billion in budget authority for the VA as a whole. This included approximately $75 billion in mandatory funding and $61 billion in discretionary funding. For FY2013, the Administration requested $53.3 billion for VHA. This included $41.5 billion for the medical services account, $5.7 billion for the medical support and compliance account, $5.4 billion for the medical facilities account, and nearly $583 million for the medical and prosthetic research account. The total requested amount for VHA represents a 4.1% increase over the FY2012-enacted appropriations. Furthermore, as required by the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-81), the President's budget requested $54.5 billion in advance appropriations for the three medical care accounts (medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities) for FY2014. On December 7, 2012, the President submitted a $235.6 million supplemental request for VA for costs associated with Hurricane Sandy. Congress did not enact a regular Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for FY2013 (MILCON-VA Appropriations bill) prior to the beginning of FY2013, and funded most of the VA (excluding the three medical care accounts: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities) through a six-month government-wide continuing resolution (P.L. 112-175). On January 29, 2013, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013, was enacted as P.L. 113-2. This Act provided approximately $236.6 million for the VA. On March 6, 2013, the House passed the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (H.R. 933). The Senate passed an amended version of the bill on March 20, 2013, and the House agreed to the amended version the next day. The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (H.R. 933; P.L. 113-6) was signed into law by the President on March 26, 2013. Division E of P.L. 113-6 contained funding for the VA. P.L. 113-6 provides $133.9 billion in budget authority for the VA as a whole. This includes approximately $72.9 billion in mandatory funding and $61 billion in discretionary funding. For FY2013, funding for VHA is $53.3 billion. Furthermore, as required by the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-81), P.L. 113-6 provides $54.5 billion in advance appropriations for the three medical care accounts (medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities) for FY2014.