Advance VA Medical Funding Supports Veterans

A law for advance VA medical funding, put in place by President Obama, means that if you are a disabled American veteran, you can look hopefully towards new health clinics, medical staff, and more medical options being maintained and improved, for veterans and active duty military.

VA MEDICAL FUNDING NOW

On October 22nd, 2009, President Obama signed into law a measure to advance funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs for medical programs.


Allowing advance funding for the Veterans Affairs medical budget, a measure which was signed into law in 2009 with almost unanimous support from Congress, answers the ever-widening funding gap caused by frequent budget delays in Congress. Lawmakers may now approve essential medical functions two years in advance, including funds for physicians salaries, maintenance, and research.

And that means better medical care for veterans in the most timely way.

MEDICAL SUPPORT FOR VETERANS

When President Obama signed the VA medical budget advance measure, the 2009 fiscal year was three weeks in progress and Congress had yet to approve the Veterans Affairs budget for 2010. With pressures of war fueling the need for long term medical care budget advances kept VA medical programs available and functioning, despite budget delays from Congress.

In fact, budget delays had been a frequent problem for the VA medical system. Only three times in the past 23 years has the VA budget been approved before the fiscal year began.

VA MEDICAL BUDGETS MOVE FORWARD

The VA medical budget considered by Congress for fiscal 2010 is $133 billion, including another $48 billion advanced fund for 2011. But regardless of any delay in finalizing the budget, President Obama expedited VA medical care, signing into law almost half the VA budget for 2011, ensuring that VA medical programs got off the ground without being held hostage by budget disputes in Congress.

MEDICAL VICTORY FOR VETERANS

Advance funding for VA medical care has been called the most important change for the VA in a decade, a "common sense reform," transforming health care for America's veterans, and a victory for veterans everywhere. Today's VA can continue the quality medical services provided to veterans, even in the wake of a cash-strapped military health care system.