Federal Response to COVID-19: Department of Veterans Affairs (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
May 1, 2020 |
| Report Number |
R46340 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Sidath Viranga Panangala, Jared S. Sussman, Cassandria Dortch, Victoria L. Elliott, Jonathan M. Gaffney, Libby Perl, Heather M. Salazar |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits to eligible veterans and their dependents. The department carries out its programs nationwide through three administrations and the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA).
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for health care services and medical and prosthetic research programs.
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for, among other things, providing disability compensation, pensions, and education assistance.
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is responsible for maintaining national veterans cemeteries; providing grants to states for establishing, expanding, or improving state veterans cemeteries; and providing headstones and markers for the graves of eligible persons, among other things.
With a vast integrated health care delivery system spread across the United States, the VHA is statutorily required to serve as a contingency backup to the Department of Defense (DOD) medical system during a national security emergency and to provide support to the National Disaster Medical System and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as necessary, in support of national emergencies. These functions are known as VA's "Fourth Mission."
Since the onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Congress has passed a number of relief measures affecting the VA and its Fourth Mission.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), enacted on March 18, 2020, provides $60 million for the VHA in emergency supplemental appropriations. Among other things, the act also prohibits the VA from charging any copayment or other cost-sharing payments for COVID-19 testing or medical visits during any period of this public health emergency.
P.L. 116-128, enacted on March 21, allows the VA to continue to provide GI Bill benefits from March 1, 2020, through December 21, 2020, for courses at educational institutions that are converted from in-residence to distance learning by reason of an emergency or health-related situation.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (P.L. 116-136), enacted on March 27, provides a total of $19.6 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for FY2020 for certain VA accounts, as well as temporary statutory relief for various VA programs and services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-140 ), enacted on April 28, 2020, is intended to mitigate the disruption to VA educational benefits, including Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E), when schools, programs of education, and work are suspended or closed from March 1, 2020, to December 21, 2020.
