HR3812-119

What This Bill Does

The STRIVE Act changes when the Department of Veterans Affairs may collect health-care copayments from veterans. It bars VA from requiring a veteran to pay a copayment after two years if VA failed to provide timely notice of the copayment or timely notice that the aggregate amount owed exceeded $2,000. It requires the $2,000 threshold to be adjusted each fiscal year based on the Consumer Price Index. It also gives the VA Secretary authority to waive a copayment whenever the Secretary determines a waiver is appropriate, even if the veteran did not request one.

Earlier text for the bill also addressed VA errors and delayed information processing, including copayment amounts above $2,000 caused by VA employee, official, or information-system error. The reported text additionally extends a VA pension payment limit under section 5503(d)(7) from November 30, 2031 to February 29, 2032.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans receiving VA hospital care or medical services benefit because stale copayment bills cannot be collected after two years when VA failed to provide timely notice. Veterans with aggregate copayments above the CPI-adjusted threshold benefit because VA must notify them properly before collecting. Veterans facing hardship or administrative errors benefit from Secretary waiver authority that can be used without a formal veteran request. Veterans receiving VA pensions subject to section 5503(d)(7) benefit from the extended payment-limit date.

Who Bears the Burden and How

VA billing offices must track notice timing, aggregate copayment thresholds, CPI adjustments, and waiver decisions. VA information systems must support timeliness tracking and identify bills older than two years. Department of Veterans Affairs copayment revenue may fall when stale or improperly noticed bills are waived or barred from collection. Taxpayers may absorb some revenue shortfall if VA cannot collect copayments that would otherwise have been billed.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits VA from collecting health-care copayments after two years when VA failed to provide timely notice.
• Limits collection when VA failed to notify a veteran that aggregate copayments exceeded $2,000.
• Requires annual CPI adjustment of the $2,000 aggregate copayment threshold.
• Provides VA Secretary waiver authority for health-care copayments without requiring a veteran request.
• Extends a VA pension payment limit date to February 29, 2032.