WASHINGTON -- Many elderly veterans are reluctant to get covid-19 vaccinations from the Department of Veterans Affairs unless their spouses can also get the shots, lawmakers say. But under existing federal law, non-veterans are ineligible.
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., is co-sponsoring legislation to revise the statute, enabling medical professionals to provide no-cost inoculations not only to veterans, but to their spouses and caregivers as well.
The bill, introduced last week by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., already has broad bipartisan support.
It's important, Boozman said, for the barrier to be removed.
"A lot of veterans were refusing to take the shot until their spouse would be eligible," he said in an interview.
The lawmaker from Rogers serves on the veterans affairs committee and had raised the issue with the department after constituents voiced concerns.
"In a hearing we had a few weeks ago, I asked the acting [undersecretary] about it. He agreed it was a problem, something we needed to fix, but we needed congressional authority to do that," Boozman recalled.
During the hearing, the official, Dr. Richard Stone, said the department was aware of the situation but lacked the authority to make a change unilaterally.
"We need additional legislative relief in order to get there," he told Boozman and the other lawmakers.
"Maybe that's something the chairman and I can work on," the Arkansan replied.
The resulting legislation has been dubbed the The Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse -- or SAVE LIVES -- Act.
It would expand the pool of people eligible to receive shots through the VA to include not only spouses and caregivers, but also veterans who would not otherwise qualify.
Spouses and children of certain disabled veterans would also be covered.
In a written statement, Tester said he wants to ensure that "every veteran has access to a vaccine, regardless of whether they're enrolled in VA health care or not."
"Our bipartisan bill will help slow the spread of the virus by extending VA's vaccination services to veterans, spouses, children, and caregivers at no cost. And, it'll get more folks the protection they need as the Department works to get more shots out the door and into communities," he said.
In an interview, Ken Fariss said he would like to see the problem resolved.
The Army veteran from Searcy County was one of the Arkansans who had encouraged Boozman to address the issue.
"This doesn't make sense," he said of the current vaccination restrictions. "The VA, if they're going to give shots to the veterans, they also need to be giving them to the aides and the spouses."
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Boozman shares that view.
In most instances, the spouse or caretaker already qualifies to receive the shots now, he said.
The bill simply removes an unnecessary logistical hurdle, he said.
Boozman predicted the legislation will be fast-tracked.
"[We'll] hopefully get that done in the next couple of weeks," he said.