Introduction to Veterans Health Care
Abstract
The federal government's role in providing health care to the nation's veterans can be traced back to World War I. The veterans' health care system was first developed in 1919 with the enactment of P.L. 65-326, which authorized the Public Health Service to provide needed care to veterans injured or sick as a result of military service--having a disability that is incurred or aggravated during active military, naval, or air service (today known as a service-connected disability). In 1924, with the enactment of the World War Veterans Act (P.L. 68-242), veterans with no service-connected disability but who were "financially unable to pay" for care were also given access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, thus creating a safety net mission. Congress has enlarged the scope of VA's health care mission, and it has enacted legislation to create new programs and expand benefits and services. This In Focus briefly outlines the mission, eligibility and enrollment requirements, health care delivery system, and funding for veterans health care. Selected trends in enrollment and budget are provided as well.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 24, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1170090
Entities
People
- Jared S. Sussman
- Sidath V. Panangala
Organizations
- Library of Congress