AMVETS TESTIMONY APRIL 13, 2000
Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate this opportunity to provide testimony this morning on behalf of the more than 250,000 members of AMVETS. The issues before us today will help ensure that America’s veterans receive the entitlements earned through service to their country. Neither AMVETS nor myself have been the recipient of any federal grants or contracts during FY2000 or the previous two years. As a national Veterans Service Organization founded on the premise of veterans serving veterans, AMVETS prides itself on the service and assistance we provide to America’s veterans in developing their disability claims to be considered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through our nationwide cadre of national service officers (NSO’s), AMVETS assisted in the filing of over 10,000 claims in 1999 alone. Those claims resulted in the recovery of over $250 million in compensation to veterans for service-connected disabilities. With the increasing number of veterans being diagnosed with the Hepatitis-C virus NSO’s are expecting to assist an even larger number of veterans in the future. A study conducted by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), involving 26,000 veterans indicates that up to 10 percent of all veterans in the VHA system tested positive for the Hepatitis-C virus, which is four to five times greater than the infection rate realized among the general population. It has also been reported that more than half of all liver transplant patients within the VHA are infected with Hepatitis-C. In response to the growing evidence that U.S. veterans are at increased risk for Hepatitis-C, AMVETS, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Vietnam Veterans of America along with the American Liver Foundation co-sponsored free hepatitis-C screenings for all U.S. veterans in eight cities across the country on March 31st and April 1st. It is important that those veterans who have contracted the virus are diagnosed as soon as possible to ensure that treatment is effective. AMVETS will continue to support outreach initiatives such as this in the future. Although studies indicate a significant increase in the number of veterans being diagnosed with Hepatitis C, our NSO’s are not reporting an increased number of Hepatitis C claims being processed. Since our NSO’s have not processed many Hepatitis-C claims I do not feel qualified to comment on the VA adjudication of these claims. AMVETS does, however, feel that where Hepatitis-C is diagnosed after service and the veteran’s service involved the risk of exposure with no other cause shown, service connection should be deemed proven by circumstantial evidence. H.R.1020 Veterans Hepatitis-C Benefits Act This bill, seeks to amend Title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for the occurrence of Hepatitis-C in certain veterans. The provisions of this bill reflect the opinion of AMVETS as outlined in the Independent Budget for fiscal year 2001. We feel that veterans diagnosed with Hepatitis-C after service, who were potentially exposed to the virus during service, should be deemed service-connected. AMVETS supports H.R. 1020 and we commend Congressman Snyder for his foresight in proposing this bill. H.R. 3816 This bill, introduced by Congressman Stupak, seeks to amend Title 38, United States Code, to provide that a stroke or heart attack that is incurred or aggravated by a member of a reserve component in the performance of duty while performing inactive duty training shall be considered to be service connected for purposes of benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As our active duty strengths continue to decrease and with service recruitment numbers consistently falling below mandated levels, our Reserve Forces have proven vital in ensuring that we as a nation meet our military commitments worldwide. Since 1987, the military has seen a decrease of eight hundred thousand servicemen and women. Although the number of personnel in the military continues to drop, the number of deployments has risen. From 1998 to today, our military has supported thirty-two separate deployments. The unprecedented rate of downsizing and cutbacks experienced in the military in recent years has made the role of Reservists even greater. With the active duty being forced to "do more with less", they are relying more and more on the Reserve forces for support. AMVETS recognizes the efforts of our Reservists and supports H.R. 3816. H.R. 3998 Veterans’ Special Monthly Compensation Gender Equity Act Introduced by Ranking Minority Member Lane Evans, this bill would amend Title 38, United States Code, to provide that the rate of compensation paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the service-connected loss of one or both breasts due to a radical mastectomy shall be the same as the rate for the service-connected loss or loss of use of one or more creative organs. Radical mastectomies require extensive surgery and often create lost movement in the arm and shoulder as well as swelling and numbness in the arm. According to the American Health Consultants scientific studies have shown that removing the chest muscles doesn’t improve a woman’s prognosis and isn’t necessary if the cancer is found early. A modified radical mastectomy, which leaves both pectoral muscles intact, is now considered just as effective in stopping the cancer’s spread. Also, modified radical mastectomies result in a decreased chance of nerve damage and therefore women suffer fewer complications. AMVETS applauds Mr. Evans inclusion of modified radical mastectomies within the text of this bill and we fully support H.R. 3998. H.R. 4131 Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act This bill, introduced by Chairman Bob Stump, would increase the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain disabled veterans. AMVETS commends Chairman Stump for his leadership and his continued efforts to improve the lives of America’s veterans. We support H.R. 4131. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. Thank you again, for allowing me to present the views of our organization before this committee. Back to Witness List |