US Veterans' Health Bill Proposed

All 27 million American veterans would be eligible for treatment under a revamped health care system approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, now being taken up by the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

The bill would put the Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs the world's largest health care program, on a competitive basis with other care providers in the new national health care system that the administration hopes to enact. The bill would provide free comprehensive health care benefits for Persian Gulf veterans suffering from undiagnosed illnesses, veterans exposed to radiation and Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Senate Committee chairman John D Rockefeller IV said that under the legislation the VA can finally evolve from an antiquated system to one that offers a comprehensive health care program. The VA's 171 hospitals and 108 outpatient clinics provide care for fewer than 10% of veterans, 2.3 million annually, mostly indigent and those with service-connnected medical problems.