The bill was signed into law ( P.L. 110-161 , the total amount of funding for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is $37.2 billion; of this amount, $2.6 billion was designated as contingent emergency funding and was available for obligation only after the President submitted a budget request to Congress. Background

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits and services to veterans who meet certain eligibility rules, including disability compensation and pensions, education, training and rehabilitation services, hospital and medical care, assistance to homeless veterans, home loan guarantees, and death benefits that cover burial expenses. The VHA operates the nation's largest integrated direct health-care delivery system. H.R. The Senate-passed version of H.R. This amount included $25.5 billion for medical services, $3.2 billion for medical administration, $3.6 billion for medical facilities, and $414 million for medical and prosthetic research. FY2008 VHA Budget

On February 5, 2007, the President submitted his FY2008 budget proposal to Congress. The total amount requested by the Administration for the VHA for FY2008 was $34.6 billion, a 1.93% increase in funding compared with the FY2007 enacted amount. The Administration's budget proposal also requested $3.4 billion for medical administration, $3.6 billion for medical facilities, and $411 million for medical and prosthetic research (see Table 5 ). The committee recommendation also included $3.6 billion for medical administration, $193 million above the Administration's request of $3.4 billion; $4.1 billion for medical facilities, a 14% increase over the President's request; and $480 million for medical and prosthetic research, a 17% increase over the President's request of $411 million (see Table 5 ). The committee did not recommend any fee increases as requested by the Administration's budget proposal for the VHA for FY2008. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for FY2008 ( H.R. 2642 , H.Rept. On June 15, 2007, the House passed H.R. 2642 . As amended, H.R. 2642 provided $29.0 billion for medical services. 110-85 ). S. 1645 , as reported, provided a total of $37.2 billion for the VHA. Furthermore, the Senate version of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill, as reported, provided $4.1 billion for medical facilities—a 14.0% increase over the FY2008 request and 1.7% less than the FY2007 enacted amount—and $500 million for medical and prosthetic research—a 12% increase over the FY2007 enacted amount, a 22.0% increase over the FY2008 request, and 4.2% above the House-passed amount. The committee did not recommend any fee increases as requested by the Administration's budget proposal for the VHA for FY2008. On September 6, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. With this transfer of funds, $29.1 billion would have been available for medical services—a $3.2 billion (12.3%) increase over the FY2007 enacted amount and $1.9 billion over the FY2008 budget request—and $3.5 billion would have been available for medical administration, $75 million above the FY2008 Administration's request ( Table 5 ). H.R. 110-161 ) on December 26. 2764 included the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (MILCON-VA Appropriations Act). 110-186 , and S.Rept. The Consolidated Appropriations Act ( H.R. The MILCON-VA Appropriation Act ( P.L.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides benefits to veterans who meet certain eligibility rules. Benefits to veterans range from disability compensation and pensions to hospital and medical care. The VA provides these benefits through three major operating units: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). The VHA is primarily a direct service provider of primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services to veterans through the nation's largest integrated health-care system.
On February 5, 2007, the President submitted his FY2008 budget proposal to Congress. The total amount requested by the Administration for the VHA for FY2008 was $34.6 billion, a 1.93% increase in funding compared with the FY2007 enacted amount. For FY2008, the Administration was requesting $27.2 billion for medical services, $3.4 billion for medical administration, $3.6 billion for medical facilities, and $411 million for medical and prosthetic research.
On June 15, 2007, the House passed its version of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill (MILCON-VA appropriations bill) for FY2008 (H.R. 2642, H.Rept. 110-186). H.R. 2642 provided $37.1 billion for the VHA for FY2008. This amount included $29.0 billion for medical services, a $1.9 billion (6.9%) increase above the President's request. H.R. 2642 also included $3.5 billion for medical administration, $69 million above the Administration's request of $3.4 billion; $4.1 billion for medical facilities, a 14% increase over the President's request; and $480 million for medical and prosthetic research, a 17% increase over the President's request of $411 million. H.R. 2642 did not include any bill language authorizing fee increases as requested by the Administration's budget proposal for the VHA for FY2008.
On September 6, 2007, the Senate passed MILCON-VA appropriations bill for FY2008 (H.R. 2642, S.Rept. 110-85) with an amendment. H.R. 2642, as passed by the Senate, provided a total of $37.2 billion for the VHA. This amount included $29.1 billion for medical services—a $3.2 billion (12.3%) increase over the FY2007 enacted amount and $1.9 billion over the FY2008 budget request—and $3.5 billion for medical administration, $75 million above the FY2008 Administration's request. Furthermore, H.R. 2642, as passed by the Senate, provided $4.1 billion for medical facilities, and $500 million for medical and prosthetic research. The Senate-passed bill also did not include any bill language authorizing fee increases as requested by the President.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (H.R. 2764) was signed into law (P.L. 110-161) on December 26, 2007, and included the MILCON-VA Appropriations Act for FY2008. Under P.L. 110-161, the total amount of funding for the VHA is $37.2 billion.
This report will not be updated.