PVA supports S. 821 to prohibit the Secretary of VA from collecting copayments from catastrophically disabled veterans.

Senator Begich. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Begich. So, you anticipate that, from today, maybe midsummer, you'll have those modifications completed.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'll be brief, I just have a couple of quick questions.

We must never forget that many veterans forgo care entirely because of access difficulties to VA facilities.

Great. Thank you.

67 percent of the care is nurses, physician assistants, which are shorter periods of time, 18 months to 36.

More security in that arena, I think, would help ensure a more stable workforce.

Unfortunately, the Senate never took action on the measure and the legislation was never enacted.

I think rural health care and rural delivery of health care is going to be a huge piece of the equation.

Current caregiver pilot programs do not include financial support for the caregiver.

Economic concerns have been set aside in what becomes a self-sacrificing mode.

If you can get that information to the Chairman, that would be fantastic.

Telemedicine is a powerful technology in Alaska. I know the VA is experimenting with that and utilizing it.

The reality is in 1 year you are not even getting into the depths of what potentially is available out there because people just don't want to do it for 1 year.

I believe that number is going to grow because one of the common denominators among the homeless population is mental illness or issues with mental health.

Why do we waste the time? I mean, you have gotten my answer to the question from my perspective by my statement.

It's a pleasure to work with you. We have a lot of work to do in this subcommittee.