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Bill would stop Native vets’ co-pays

A bipartisan Senate bill attempts to shield American Indian and Alaska Native veterans from co-payments and other fees for receiving health care, closing a loophole created by a 2003 agreement between two federal agencies.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service in February 2003 was lauded at the time as a way to increase cooperation between the two agencies to address health problems in native veterans.

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., the chief sponsor of S 2145, said the bill would make certain that VA cost-sharing fees and other expenses are not charged to veterans receiving health care from the Indian Health Service. That protects a long-term federal government policy of providing free health care services to eligible Native Americans “regardless of their ability to pay.”

Under the agreement, much of the basic care for native veterans is done by the Indian Health Service, while specialty care and prescription drugs are provided by the VA.

Smith said American Indians and Alaskan Natives may be eligible for health care from both the VA and Indian Health Service but do not seem to be getting enough care. Despite their dual eligibility, the native veterans “report the highest rate of unmet health care needs among veterans and exhibit high rates of disease risk factors,” Smith said.

Sens. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Brian Dorgan, D-N.D., are chief co-sponsors of the bill that was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill could be passed as part of a larger package of federal health initiatives, or attached to veterans’ health care legislation that the Senate will take up later this year.