Panel Revisits Category Eight Enrollment

The House Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing June 20 concerning whether to allow Category Eight veterans to enroll in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. In January 2003, Tony Principi, then VA secretary, stopped the enrollment of new Category Eight patients because so many were enrolling that he doubted whether the VA would be able to care for veterans in higher categories. At the June 20 meeting, Dr. Michael J. Kussman, undersecretary for health for VA, said he would give the committee a report outlining what the department would need in order to open access to all Category Eight veterans. Category Eight veterans have no service-connected disabilities and have family incomes that exceed a VA means test. Since 2003, nearly 400,000 of them have been denied enrollment in the VA. Those already enrolled were allowed to continue receiving care.