VA moves to deliver copayment relief to Native American veterans
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News from Senator’s Tester office
U.S. Senate — Following sustained efforts from U.S. Senator Jon Tester, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today proposed a rule in the Federal Register to waive copayments incurred on or after Jan. 5, 2022, for certain care received by American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. If finalized, the rule will allow Native veterans to receive their earned copayment relief as directed by a law Tester championed in 2021.
“I’m encouraged to see VA answering my call to implement the law and remove burdensome copayments for Native veterans accessing their earned health care,” said Tester. “The fact is Native veterans have bravely answered the call to duty for generations. And I’ll continue to hold VA accountable in delivering these veterans their long-overdue support.”
Last Congress, Tester led his Committee colleagues in successfully securing a law to eliminate copayments for Native veterans accessing VA health care as part of a comprehensive end-of-year bill. At a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, Tester recently urged VA officials to quickly implement this law, and to consider making veteran copayment benefits retroactive to January 2022, in line with Congressional intent.
