Ciscomani, Young Kim Lead Effort to Address Lapses in VA Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  U.S Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) wants to make it easier for members of our military to get the benefits they deserve after leaving the armed forces. The Arizona lawmaker and Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) are leading a bipartisan effort to allow servicemembers to pre-enroll in Department of Veterans’ Affairs benefits before they transition out of the military.   

Currently, active-duty servicemembers cannot apply for VA health care until the receive their official separation documentation. This can result in a gap in coverage for our veterans. Ciscomani, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has heard about this issue repeatedly from his Veteran Advisory Council, the veteran community at-large, and veteran serving organizations.  

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Ciscomani hosts the Veteran Servant Leader Award Ceremony (left) and visits Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10385 in Thatcher, Arizona (right) 

The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act (H.R. 683) aims to prevent any gaps in coverage by:  

• Creating a three-year pilot program to allow servicemembers to enroll in VA healthcare 180 days before their official date of separation. 
• Require the VA to present annual reports on the program and enrolled members.  

“As the Representative to nearly 80,000 veterans, I often hear about the difficulties they face as they transition back into civilian life,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “We must take every action to make this transition as smooth as possible and ensure that our veterans receive the health care and benefits their service earned. However, under current law, when members of the military leave their service, they are not eligible to receive certain veterans benefits until they receive their official separation documents, which can result in months-long gaps in coverage. This is unacceptable, which is why I am proud to partner with Rep. Young Kim on this critical legislation to ensure our veterans are taken care of from day one.”  

“Our service members should not have to worry about whether their families can receive VA health care as they transition to civilian life. The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act addresses any lapse in care and gives our armed forces the certainty they deserve,” said Congresswoman Kim. “As a wife and sister to U.S. Army veterans, supporting those who served in our nation’s uniform and their families is personal to me. I thank my friends Reps. Carbajal, Ciscomani, Tokuda, Lawler, and Cisneros for joining me in this commonsense effort, and I’ll always have the backs our brave military veterans who had ours.”   

Joining Representatives Ciscomani and Kim in introducing the bill are Mike Lawler (R-NY), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Gil Cisneros (D-CA).

“The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act is a critical measure that will ensure our veterans get the care they need after they finish their military service,” said Congressman Lawler. “We can never truly repay them and their families for their sacrifices on behalf of our nation, but we can make it easier for them to access VA healthcare and ensure continuity of coverage – which is precisely what this legislation will do. I’m proud to be working in a bipartisan way to support this bill and look forward to continuing the vital work of supporting our veterans."  

“The men and women who serve our nation put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, we need to ensure that our veterans receive the care they deserve without delay,” said Congressman Carbajal. “I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation that will eliminate gaps in health care coverage, ensuring they receive timely and uninterrupted care as they transition back to civilian life.”   

“Transitioning to civilian life can be very challenging for our servicemembers and waiting for health care should not be an added burden. Coming from a family of veterans, their care is extremely important and personal to me,” said Congresswoman Tokuda. “That’s why I am proud to join Rep. Young Kim in introducing this bill, so servicemembers don’t have to wait for health care and have timely access to benefits they so greatly need and deserve. They have sacrificed so much for our country and it’s our turn to take care of them.”   

“As a veteran, I know firsthand the challenges that servicemembers and their families face when they leave military service and begin to reintegrate into civilian life,” said Congressman Cisneros. “The Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act helps ensure that our veterans can receive the vital healthcare and benefits they deserve once they transition back into our communities. The way we can honor the service of our nation’s military retirees and their families is by focusing the necessary attention on this crucial period in their lives and address gaps of care when a servicemember transitions."  

Read the full bill here.   

Background: 

• Ciscomani serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and represents nearly 80,000 veterans who reside in AZ-06.
• In the 118th Congress, Ciscomani introduced ten-pieces of veteran-focused legislation, three of which passed the House of Representatives:
  • The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371), which was the flagship veterans’ package for the 118th Congress. It includes a number of bipartisan and bicameral proposals to reform and improve the delivery of healthcare, benefits, and services at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans, their families, and their survivors.
  • The VET-TEC Authorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 1669) which extends a popular program that covers costs for veterans seeking job training in high-tech industries.
  • The Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act (H.R. 7100) to move the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) back within the Office of the VA Secretary. This move ensures that OSA has direct access to the Secretary to fix policy and program-wide problems. 
• In October 2024, Ciscomani hosted House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (IL-12) in Arizona’s 6th district to attend several veterans-focused events.
• In August 2024, Ciscomani toured the Tucson VA facility with former VA Secretary Denis McDonough. 

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