Bill Overview
Title: Ensuring Veterans' Smooth Transition Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically enroll veterans who are eligible for VA health care into the VA health care system upon the receipt of information from the Defense Manpower Data Center of the Department of Defense that proves eligibility of such veterans for enrollment. The VA must provide a veteran notice that the veteran has been enrolled, instructions on how the veteran may elect to opt out of such enrollment, and instructions for how such veteran may elect to enroll at a later date. Notice or instructions must be provided in a physical copy and, as is practical, in an electronic copy. Additionally, the VA must consider using mass texting capabilities to provide the notice and relevant instructions required by this bill. The provisions of the bill apply to veterans who are discharged or separated from the Armed Forces on or after the date that is 90 days before this bill's enactment. Any veteran who is eligible for automatic enrollment must be able to access an electronic version of the certificate of eligibility and an electronic mechanism to opt out of such enrollment. The Government Accountability Office must report on the best methods for the VA to provide notice regarding a veteran's automatic enrollment in the VA health care system and related instructions.
Sponsors: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans who are eligible for automatic VA health care enrollment
Estimated Size: 50000
- There are approximately 19 million veterans in the United States as of 2021.
- Not all veterans are eligible for VA healthcare; eligibility is determined by factors such as active duty service length and discharge status.
- The bill only affects veterans who are discharged or separated from the Armed Forces on or after 90 days before the enactment of the bill.
- Approximately 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year.
- On average, if we assume around 50,000 veterans are discharged each quarter, this represents the immediate potential pool affected by this bill upon enactment.
- The global population of veterans primarily consists of U.S. citizens, as the VA healthcare system serves those who have served in the U.S. military.
Reasoning
- The budget constraint of $30,000,000 in the first year and $255,000,000 over 10 years suggests a moderate policy scope, allowing for some scale, but not universal massive rollouts or excessive administrative costs.
- Since about 50,000 veterans transition to civilian life each quarter, this policy directly targets them, potentially reaching close to that number if efficiently implemented.
- Not every affected veteran will have the same level of need or impact from the policy, with many already aware or using VA services, implying varied effects among individuals.
- Common barriers such as lack of information, bureaucratic processes, and personal challenges for newly transitioned veterans could be significantly mitigated by automatic enrollment.
- The simulant interviewed perspectives should represent both high impact due to current usage barriers and those for whom the policy change is negligible or none.
Simulated Interviews
Recently discharged Army Corpsman (Houston, TX)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm relieved that they will enroll me automatically. I was dreading the process after hearing horror stories from fellow vets.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Veteran's Affairs counselor (San Diego, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This makes my job a lot easier. Ensuring everyone is enrolled will help veterans get the care they need without the bureaucratic barriers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
IT Specialist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't really use VA health services much, so while it's nice to be automatically enrolled, it doesn't change much for me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Full-time student (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I was concerned about healthcare coverage while I study, so this automatic enrollment really reassures me.
- Health is crucial, especially during my transition and studies, so better access is welcome.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Disabled veteran (Little Rock, AR)
Age: 58 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 1/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy won't change much for me personally, but it's a great thing for new veterans to ease their transition.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Contractor (Orlando, FL)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could really make a difference for a lot of my buddies. It's one less thing to worry about with everything else going on.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Homemaker (Denver, CO)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Honestly, we have private insurance, so the VA's automatic enrollment doesn't impact us directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Junior software engineer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I wasn't sure if I'd even get the VA healthcare. Getting in automatically removes a huge stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Unemployed (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the new policy, I hope to get needed care without going through hoops, aiding my current health issues.
- I'm trying to focus on rebuilding my life post-military, starting with personal health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired (Las Vegas, NV)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've never really used VA services, this policy doesn't seem to affect me at all.
- It's a positive step for young veterans joining now but irrelevant for others like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $40000000)
Year 2: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 3: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 5: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 10: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 100: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Key Considerations
- Integration of DoD and VA systems can present significant technological and logistical challenges.
- The policy's success in reducing healthcare costs depends on veterans' willingness to engage with the VA health system after automatic enrollment.
- There may be pushback or privacy concerns from veterans uncomfortable with automatic enrollment.