Loophole bars many veterans from getting COVID vaccine at VA. This bill would change that
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, announced Monday that he is a co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation that would expand access to COVID-19 vaccine through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VA Vaccine Act would provide vaccines to all veterans — including those not currently enrolled in the VA healthcare system, as well as to caregivers who provide essential support to veterans.
It would close a loophole in rules that prohibits VA officials from administering the vaccine to anyone except individuals already registered in department medical care programs. Currently, less than half of all veterans are enrolled in healthcare services at the VA.
That loophole prevented a decorated World War II Sarasota man, 95-year-old James Stillwell, from receiving the vaccine. His wife and caregiver, 85-year-old Norma, said he was turned away twice because he was not registered with the VA and was not income eligible under the VA guidelines.
Under the bill, both Stillwell and his wife as caregiver would be eligible for the shot.
The bill was introduced last week by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., and ranking member Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill.
“I want to thank Congressman Buchanan for following up on this,” Mrs. Stillwell said in a press release from Buchanan’s office. “This would be a godsend for us. I think my husband certainly deserves it having served in WW II with distinction.”
Buchanan said he will work with members from both parties in Congress to win swift passage of the bill given the urgency of protecting veterans.
“It’s a national disgrace and unacceptable that aging veterans with health conditions are being turned away and denied the vaccine because of a loophole in VA rules,” Buchanan said in the press release. “We have 70,000 veterans in our region and many are not enrolled in the VA healthcare system.”
Edwin Robinson, chairman of the Manatee Veterans Council, and several other local veterans leaders praised the bill.
“It’s important that all of our veterans and their caregivers have access to the COVID vaccine. Our veterans deserve nothing less than access to the vaccine as soon as possible,” Robinson said.
Gulf War veteran Anthony Hardie of Bradenton, director of Veterans for Common Sense, who has fought for better medical care for vets suffering from Gulf War illnesses, including testifying in Congress, welcomed the legislation.
“Unbeknown to most Americans, millions of veterans are not eligible to enroll in VA healthcare due to income limitations or other enrollment factors and only 9 million of our nation’s 19.5 million veterans are currently enrolled,” Hardie said.
Carlos Moreira, president of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission, said the veterans community in Sarasota supports the veterans vaccine bill.
“In addition, we support the idea of providing vaccination to the caregivers of our older veterans,” Moreira said.
Veterans in the Tampa Bay area began receiving inoculations against COVID-19 in December through Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, which operates seven veterans outpatient clinics, including faciliteis in Bradenton and Sarasota.
Manatee County is home to 32,335 veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
