An act changing current legislation for veterans needing transplants has passed the House.
Congressman John Carter's (TX-31) Veterans Transplant Coverage Act of 2017 was passed by the House Tuesday. Under the current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs could deny a transplant to a veteran if the donor was a non-veteran.
“This legislation is about the 84,000 veterans in my congressional district and the 22 million nationwide. It is for every veteran that has had to fight their way through the VA’s bureaucracy to receive the care they need and deserve. It’s for every veteran that has fought hard but lost the battle against the VA, like my constituent, Charles Nelson, from Leander, Texas,” Representative Carter said in a release.
Carter said that Nelson was denied a transplant from his son from the VA, leaving the family to fundraise for the surgery.
The act changes the current law to allow veterans to receive organ transplants from a non-veteran with their VA coverage and allow the transplant to happen at any VA or non-VA facility.
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