“House bill creates VA ombudsman’s office”
Via Govexec.com: “House bill creates VA ombudsman’s office”
WASHINGTON - Citing the confusion veterans face when trying to arrange benefits, the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee passed a bill Thursday creating an ombudsman office within the Veterans Affairs Department (VA).
The bill instructs the VA secretary to create an office of the ombudsman, and designate the head of the office.
The office would act as a one-stop shop for information on benefits administered by the VA, including medical, housing and education. When testifying in support of his bill before the Health Subcommittee on June 14, 2007, Hodes said the VA has separate hotlines for different benefits, and the process can be confusing to veterans returning from overseas.
However, the VA does not support the bill. VA Undersecretary for Health Michael Kussman testified at the Health Subcommittee hearing on the bill that it would create an unnecessary level of bureaucracy within the VA. Kussman added the VA already has officers such as patient advocates and benefit counselors, and many state level veterans departments also have counselors. Read On…
