Sponsors (9)
Last progress June 6, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 6, 2025 by Adam Gray
Stops the Department of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain health-care copayments from covered veterans, creates an explicit authority for the VA Secretary to waive copayments, and limits how much veterans can be charged when the debt is due to VA error. The bill bars collecting copayments for covered veterans, prevents collection after a two-year period when VA processing failures caused the nonpayment, caps VA-error copay debts at $2,000, and allows the Secretary to waive copayments even if a veteran does not ask for a waiver.
Amend Section 1730A of title 38, United States Code by striking the existing heading and inserting a new heading (new heading text not shown in the section).
The Secretary may not require a covered veteran to make any copayment for the receipt of hospital care or medical services under the laws administered by the Secretary.
The Secretary may not require any veteran to make any copayment for hospital care or medical services if the copayment is being sought after the end of the two-year period beginning on the date the veteran received the care, when the veteran's failure to pay within that two-year period is attributable to the failure of a Department employee, official, or information system to process information provided by or on behalf of the veteran within timeliness standards set by the Secretary.
The Secretary may not require any veteran to make a copayment in an amount that exceeds $2,000 for hospital care or medical services if the excess amount is attributable to an error by a Department employee, official, or information system.
Redesignate existing subsection (b) of Section 1730A as subsection (c).
Primary impact: veterans who receive VA health care. Covered veterans who previously faced copayment bills or collections because of VA errors or processing failures would receive relief: some copayments would be barred, VA-error debts would be limited to $2,000, and the Secretary may waive amounts even if the veteran does not request relief. For the VA, the law requires administrative changes to billing, debt tracking, and waiver procedures. That could reduce copayment receipts and shift work toward debt review and waiver decisions. There is no specified funding to cover reduced receipts, so the financial effect would be absorbed within existing VA budgets unless Congress provides offsets. The provision should lower financial stress and future collection actions for affected veterans, and may reduce appeals and litigation tied to these copayments. Implementation details (which copayments are covered, how to document VA processing failures, and waiver criteria) will be set by VA policy and operations.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.