VA scandal pushes Congress to pass bills costing $50 billion

Congress, prompted by the ongoing Veterans Affairs care scandal, moved with uncharacteristic haste last week to overwhelmingly pass measures in both the House and Senate designed to make it easier for veterans to access care in the private sector.

How the legislation, which could cost $50 billion a year according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, will be paid for, however, is a question without an easy answer since Republicans and Democrats are likely to balk at some of the more obvious options.

The House passed its measure June 10, the Senate acted the following day. The two bills are largely the same; they would allow veterans to visit private doctors at the VA's expense if they are unable to get an appointment in a timely manner or live more than 40 miles from a VA facility. They each also have language that the federal agency will reimburse no more than Medicare rates for care provided and both also give the VA secretary more power to fire or demote employees for poor performance.

Roughly 8.4 million vets already get healthcare from the VA, and another 8 million are eligible, but aren't enrolled, according to the CBO. But as word gets out that there is greater access to private care available, not only could those currently getting care increase utilization, but those currently eligible, but not using it, could jump into the system as well. Such a scenario could ultimately lead to the $50 billion a year scenario if the legislation becomes permanent, up from the $35 billion the provision is expected to cost in total over its first three years of existence, the CBO said. Experts are split as to where such funds could come from.

With a new law looming, non-VA providers are bracing for a possible onslaught of new patients. A recent Veterans Affairs Department audit found that more than 57,000 veterans have had to wait at least three months for initial appointments. An additional 64,000 veterans who asked for appointments over the past decade never got them.

Follow Virgil Dickson on Twitter: @MHVDickson