VA Medical Care FY 2008 Funding
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Related Resources
AAMC Documents
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Current Status
On September 6, 2007, the Senate passed the "Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008" (H.R. 2642;
S. Rpt. 110-85). The bill provides $36.6 billion for VA medical
care, a $4.5 billion (14 percent) increase over the FY 2007 joint
funding resolution. On June 15, 2007, the House approved its version
of the VA appropriations bill (H.Rpt. 110-186). The measure provides
the same increases for VA medical care as the Senate bill.
On May 25, 2007, the President signed an FY 2007 supplemental spending
package (P.L. 110-28) that includes nearly $1.8 billion in additional
FY 2007 funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), much
of which is specifically targeted to the treatment of veterans from
Iraq and Afghanistan. The VA funding includes an additional $1.3
billion for VA medical care divided among the following accounts:
$467 million for Medical Services, $250 million for Medical Administration,
and $595 million for Medical Facilities. An additional $35 million
is provided for VA Information Technology, of which $15.1 million
is dedicated for "electronic data breach remediation and prevention."
AAMC Activity
As an executive committee member of the Friends of VA Medical Care
and Health Research (FOVA), the AAMC supported FOVA's FY 2008 recommendation
for a VA medical care budget of at least $36.6 billion. This recommended
$4.5 billion (14 percent) increase over the FY 2007 joint funding
resolution would cover expected medical care inflation; the influx
of new veterans from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom;
and necessary improvements to address the increasing complexity
and volume of care needed by VA's aging population. As in previous
years, FOVA's medical care recommendation is consistent with the
funding level recommended in the Independent Budget (IB),
a detailed analysis of VA funding levels developed by four of the
major veterans service organizations and endorsed by more than 60
other organizations.
Contact
Matthew Shick, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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