Bill Overview
Title: Veterans Medical Mileage Adjustment Act of 2022
Description: This bill increases the rate for beneficiary travel allowances based on mileage (from 41.5 cents to 45.5 cents per mile) for beneficiary travel to or from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, required counseling, or for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care.
Sponsors: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans traveling to VA facilities for vocational rehabilitation or medical purposes
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill concerns travel allowances related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.
- Any veteran who travels to a VA facility for vocational rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, or care is impacted.
- The US veteran population is approximately 19 million.
- Not all veterans will require travel to a VA facility, but those who do for the specified categories will benefit from this mileage adjustment.
Reasoning
- Approximately 2 million veterans need travel to VA facilities for various services that fit the policy.
- The policy provides a small financial adjustment, likely impacting a moderate number of the target group, especially those with frequent travels or long distances.
- Not all veterans travel frequently; hence the policy's actual reach within the 19 million veteran population is limited.
- Transportation cost relief from the policy could have mild to moderate effects on financial wellbeing, potentially improving stress and financial burden for affected individuals.
- The policy appears to have a moderate communal impact due to budgeting constraints, limiting its scale to about 2 million beneficiaries.
Simulated Interviews
Retired Veteran, part-time consultant (Texas)
Age: 68 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The mileage increase helps with ongoing travel costs.
- Living in a rural area, travel expenses add up, so this change helps ease some worry about those costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Unemployed, seeking rehabilitation (California)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Every little bit counts when you're on a tight budget.
- This policy provides me with some additional travel compensation which reduces my financial stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Veteran Affairs case worker (Florida)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The change may not drastically change lives but every little adjustment helps in the long run.
- It's a valuable policy for both careers and those accessing services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Veteran retiree (Minnesota)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My travels have always been a financial strain, this will help alleviate some of that.
- Transportation is a hidden expense in treatment many don't account for.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Graduate student (New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy won't affect me much as my transportation costs are already minimal.
- However, I see the benefit for those traveling longer distances.
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 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Independent contractor (Colorado)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm always looking for ways to save on travel; this helps bit by bit.
- Not a massive change, but appreciated nonetheless in managing my expenses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired, part-time gardener (Virginia)
Age: 54 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With continuous treatments, every cent adds up; this helps my budget significantly.
- It's policies like this that allow us to manage our medical needs more comfortably.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Small business owner (Washington)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I appreciate the policy, my travel costs are minimal, so it impacts others more than me.
- Nonetheless, it's good to see ongoing support for veterans.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Veteran Volunteer Coordinator (Ohio)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The mileage adjustment will certainly assist in reducing a daily concern for many of us.
- Being in the field, I've seen the stress this can alleviate long-term.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired, occasional community volunteer (Georgia)
Age: 71 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- At my age and with my conditions, every bit of help counts towards my wellbeing.
- This policy eases some of the burden from having to travel far for my care.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $40000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $50000000)
Year 2: $42000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $53000000)
Year 3: $44000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $56000000)
Year 5: $49000000 (Low: $35000000, High: $62000000)
Year 10: $59000000 (Low: $42000000, High: $74000000)
Year 100: $120000000 (Low: $85000000, High: $150000000)
Key Considerations
- The increased mileage reimbursement rate reflects rising transportation costs and aims to ease the financial burden for veterans.
- The broader economic implications of the policy are likely minimal, as it primarily adjusts a pre-existing benefit.