American Legion pushes Congress on veterans' healthcare, benefits at Washington conference

The American Legion is holding its 65th annual Washington Conference this week in the nation’s capital. Here are highlights from the American Legion’s 2025 Legislative Priorities:

The War Within.

The suicide rate among veterans is nearly double that of their civilian counterparts. Essential to reducing the rate are:

• Destigmatizing the pursuit of mental health assistance by veterans

• Increasing access to mental healthcare and paving the way for alternative therapies

The American Legion urges Congress to amply fund the VA’s suicide-prevention outreach budget, mental health treatment services, and peer-support programs. Moreover, Congress must take steps to ensure VA’s timeliness, efficancy, and standardization of data regarding veteran suicide. This is critical to understanding the scope of the issue and ensuring resources are allocated where they will be most effective.

 VA Benefits Protection, Enhancement

Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is vital for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities that prevent them from obtaining full-time employment. The Congressional Budget Office has proposed to phase out this benefit within the next five years for veterans 67 or older. TDIU should be based solely on a veteran’s ability to secure gainful employment and should not be based on age or any other factors. Losing TDIU benefits could cause severe financial burdens to veterans who have become dependent on them as a source of income.

The amount of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for eligible surviving spouses is substantially lower than benefits received by survivors of federal civil service retirees or employees. DIC benefits need to be increased to an amount comparable to civil service benefits. DIC recipients also face unfair risks of losing their benefits if they remarry before the age of 55. Congress must end this disparity to ensure the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation receive adequate financial support.

Predatory claims companies continue to target veterans, collecting billions of dollars annually from exorbitant fees charged for questionable services. VA currently lacks the enforcement tools necessary to take meaningful action against these companies. Congress must enact legislation with stiff penalties for predatory claims companies and other bad actors who continue to exploit veterans.

Community Care Balance

Access to community care is essential for veterans, particularly those living in rural areas. An estimated 5 million veterans reside in rural communities, and approximately 58% of VA-enrolled veterans live in these areas, underscoring the need for accessible healthcare options. The American Legion firmly believes that VA should remain the cornerstone of veteran care.

The 2024 VA budget shortfall highlights a significant concern: over $150 billion has been spent on community care providers since 2015. While The American Legion supports access to community care, issues with current wait-time and drive-distance rules often result in veterans waiting longer or traveling farther for care than they would otherwise receive within the VA system. This challenge is especially pronounced in rural areas, as observed during American Legion System Worth Saving site visits. The American Legion urges Congress to hold the Office of Community Care accountable for the continuity of veteran care, improve communication between VA and community providers and strengthen transportation services to community care appointments for rural health veterans.

Claims and Appeals

VA often delays the processing of benefits claims simply because veterans filed their claims on incorrect forms (i.e., not the most current versions). Instead of delaying the claims process and depriving veterans of potential disability benefits, VA should move forward and ask for any additional information with notification letters.

One important issue that needs to be addressed in the appeals process is an “evidence gap.” Any evidence submitted from the date of a claim’s denial to the date when a Notice of Disagreement is filed cannot be considered by decision-review officers or veterans law judges. This gap needs to be eliminated so that evidence submitted any time before an appeal decision can be considered.

VA needs to adopt more veteran-friendly policies to ensure there are no wrong doors when claimants file for benefits they have earned. Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability benefits must be protected, VA should accept any standard form regardless of currency, and Congress must act decisively to hold predatory claims companies accountable for their unconscionable actions against veterans.

Toxic Exposure

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) has successfully helped more than 1 million veterans receive care and disability benefits after exposure to toxic contamination while in service. Congress must continue to closely monitor and require VA to provide data to ensure full implementation of this historic legislation.

Support for Survivors

Survivors, spouses, and children of military personnel who die on active duty or due to a service-connected illness or injury continue to face challenges. Two priorities of The American Legion are:

• To allow the spouses of the fallen to keep their benefits when they remarry; and

• To raise military survivor benefits to align with those offered by other federal programs, addressing disparities, and ensuring equitable support.