VIDEO: Zinke Testifies in front of House Rules Committee on Amendment to Protect Life-Saving Healthcare for Veterans

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced an amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 to protect Montana veterans’ access to life flights and a variety of ambulance services. Zinke introduced this amendment after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finalized a rule that would reimburse air ambulances at a rate equal to that of the 1998 Medicare reimbursement rate. This would cause drastic cuts and make it financially impossible for air ambulances to operate. Zinke’s amendment would stop this rule from going into effect and force the VA to continue operating under the established reimbursement rates.

If the amendment achieves passage through House Rules, it will be considered for a vote on the House Floor this week and sent to the U.S. Senate for a vote. Zinke’s amendment is bipartisan and has the backing of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wounded Warrior Project, the National Military & Veterans Alliance, and other veteran service organizations.

A video of the testimony is linked here.

A transcript of his testimony to the House Rules Committee is below.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, member of the committee.

I rise to speak on an important issue, the Zinke amendment 49, which really stops a very, very bad rule, and if not stopped, it will gut air ambulance services across Montana and rural states. And believe me if this rule is not stopped it means people are going to die and veterans are going to lose their lives.

Let me explain a little bit about Montana. The Chairman has been out there, and I invite all members to, but Montana’s same sizes from here to Chicago plus 2 miles. Montana’s population is just a little over 1 million.

I was just in Bozeman. I met with the CEO of the hospital, and she reminded me that not every hospital even has the same services, so in distances across Montana when you were two hours away from the hospital, and maybe you do hit that deer or that bison. But that is going to mean if someone comes along, and if they have cell phone coverage, you’re hours away. Your only lifesaving measure is air ambulance services and that isn’t just Montana, but across the West and places that are more desolate like Indian territory, your chances of getting to a hospital in time are remote without the services.

This amendment is obviously supported by Veteran groups like the VFW and American legion. Let me give you a little background of why we’re here: in February, the VA finalized a rule that reduces the reimbursement, a rate and it goes back to a 1998 reimbursement schedule. 1998, what are you doing a 1998? I was in Bosnia. That was a few years ago. So, they did this rule without contacting stakeholders or industry leaders. So, what does this rule do? It would reduce reimbursement rate by 80%. There isn’t an air ambulance service that can operate with that type of reduction.

So, also remember we had the secretary of the VA here in Committee, he was asked about this very point. He said he would work with us, that the solution was contracts, that the VA would go forward, and they would contract air services and recognize you can’t reduce by 80%.

So, what happened? Nothing.

 I lead a letter of 10 members to question why, and what happened? Nothing. Cricket. Previous letters all reached the same conclusion - nothing happened. It seems like some cases the only time people listen is when the power of the purse is applied.

So, recently, last week, we found that the industry sources through sources is the 911 are no longer reimbursed by any contract vehicles. It all would go down to the reimbursable rates of 1998 and considering that most calls are 911, it’s a big deal. Not to mention we have to transport patients between hospital because not every hospital has across the spectrum care.

So, if we don’t stop implementation the rule here it will go in effect, we will eliminate most of the air ambulance services across Montana. You will close bases, especially Indian territory.

So, CBO so we went through the course, and we want to follow rules and go by CBO, so what’s the problem? The problem is this: the rule is not an effect yet, it is in February. They have technical difficulties applying CBO because the law, the PACT Act, hasn’t determined whether or not this is discretionary, non-discretionary, and which fund. The HHS has not upgraded the schedule for ambulance services as they said they would do, and in law they were required to do, but haven’t. You have a schedule that hasn’t been redone, a PACT Act that hasn’t determined and we can’t get a CBO score, but this is what we’ve all promised in this committee. We promised that we would keep the VA whole.

Remember, we looked at the VA the deal, we looked at defense and we would keep VA whole. It doesn’t involve additional spending. This involves the continued spending as it as it was until we get a solution, which is probably contracted or enforce the VA to do with their supposed to do. So with that, this is an important issue across Montana. I’m sure my colleague from the East side recognizes that. But this is not just Montana – it is across the West. So, with that, I ask your favorable of approval to right this wrong on a very important issue in Montana.

###