75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2009 Regular Session
 
 
                            Enrolled
 
                     House Joint Memorial 3
 
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5).
  Presession filed (at the request of Governor Theodore R.
  Kulongoski for Department of Veterans' Affairs)
 
 
To the President of the United States and the Senate and the
  House of Representatives of the United States of America, in
  Congress assembled:
  We, your memorialists, the Seventy-fifth Legislative Assembly
of the State of Oregon, in legislative session assembled,
respectfully represent as follows:
  Whereas the Veterans Health Administration within the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs is charged with providing
health care to all eligible veterans; and
  Whereas the Veterans Health Administration has a program known
as Fee Basis that pays for health care services provided outside
the veterans health care system, including emergency care for
eligible veterans; and
  Whereas many Oregon veterans who are eligible for Veterans
Health Administration health care live in rural and remote areas
of this state and can access primary health care, but cannot
access specialty and emergency health care for veterans; and
  Whereas the Veterans Health Administration does not have
full-service health care facilities in rural areas of Oregon to
meet the health care needs of eligible veterans in these areas;
and
  Whereas the Veterans Health Administration's Fee Basis payment
system is sufficiently complex to be considered as being
inconsistently applied and as having eligibility restrictions
that do not meet the needs of veterans living in rural and remote
areas; now, therefore,
 
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:
 
  (1) The Seventy-fifth Legislative Assembly urges the Congress
of the United States to:
  (a) Increase funding and eligibility for Fee Basis payments for
veterans living in rural and remote areas of Oregon who cannot
access Veterans Health Administration facilities; and
  (b) Review and simplify the Fee Basis statutes and regulations
regarding payment eligibility for specialty and emergency health
care for veterans due to complex statutes and regulations that
are confusing to veterans.
  (2) A copy of this memorial shall be sent to the President of
the United States, to the Senate Majority Leader, to the Speaker
of the House of Representatives and to each member of the Oregon
Congressional Delegation.
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Enrolled House Joint Memorial 3 (HJM 3-INTRO)              Page 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 Adopted by House April 9, 2009
 
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                                      Chief Clerk of House
 
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                                        Speaker of House
 
 
                                 Adopted by Senate May 20, 2009
 
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                                       President of Senate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enrolled House Joint Memorial 3 (HJM 3-INTRO)              Page 2