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Summarizing, the Veterans' Administration, under existing law, has authority to provide and maintain home dialysis units, where medically indicated, if the kidney condition requiring the treatment is service connected. If the kidney condition necessitating hemodialysis is not service connected, the unit may be provided (1) if the veteran is being paid one of the higher statutory rates of disability compensation; (2) if the veteran is being paid the rate of disability pension provided for those in need of regular aid and attendance; (3) if the veteran requires followup care to complete treatment incident to hospitalization; or (4) on a permanent basis, if such followup care has continued for a year and the veteran is in receipt of compensation or pension based on need for regular aid and attendance.

In light of the foregoing, it is our view that the Veterans' Administration has authority under existing law to provide and maintain home hemodialysis units for substantially all of the veterans to whom H.R. 8451, if enacted, would apply. It follows, we believe, that there is little, if any, need for the enactment of section 3 of the subject proposal.

The following estimate of the additional costs of the first two sections of H.R. 8451, if enacted, is based on the best available data. We estimate that there might be 125 veterans who are currently rated as totally disabled from service-connected disabilities who would receive increased compensation benefits under the first section at an additional cost of $75,000 during fiscal year 1970. We do not know how many of the 250 veterans that we estimate to be potentially entitled to the benefits provided by section 2 of the bill are currently receiving non-service-connected disability pension. If, however, it is assumed, because of the seriousness of the individual's disablement, that all are currently on the pension rolls and being paid the basic disability pension, the additional first year's cost of section 2 would approximate $120,000. We believe that the cost of the first two sections of the bill would remain at about the same level for the succeeding 4 years.

With respect to section 3, we are unable to estimate with any degree of accuracy the additional costs involved in supplying and maintaining additional home hemodialysis units since we are uncertain as to the cost trend of the newer models and the prices vary in different parts of the country. For example, the 11 units purchased in fiscal year 1968 cost the Veterans' Administration a total of $125,000 while in the first half of fiscal year 1969, we spent $54,761 for seven units, including installation, accessories, and supplies. In this connection, by letter of April 11, 1969 (Committee Print No. 32), we furnished to your committee detailed information concerning the initial, maintenance, and other costs associated with home hemodialysis units that we supplied during fiscal years 1967, 1968, and the first half of 1969.

Advice has been received from the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program.

Sincerely,

FRED B. RHODES,

Deputy Administrator

(In the absence of

Donald E. Johnson, Administrator).

BILLS FOR HEARING SEPTEMBER 3, 1969 IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION

H.R.366: Mr. Teague of Texas H.R. 367: Mr. Teague of Texas

AND PENSIONS

H.R. 5518: Mr. Dulski

H.R. 6263: Mr. Quillen

H.R. 6802: Mr. Teague of Texas

H.R. 369: Mr. Teague of Texas

H.R. 372: Mr. Teague of Texas

H.R. 1140: Mr. Gubser
H.R. 2087: Mr. Hosmer
H.R. 2091: Mr. King
H.R. 2732: Mr. Waldie
H.R.3066: Mr. Dorn
H.R. 3067: Mr. Dorn
H.R. 3070: Mr. Dorn

H.R. 3077: Mr. Dorn
H.R. 3079: Mr. Dorn
H.R. 3281: Mr. Nichols

H.R. 3301: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 3302: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 3325: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 4597: Mr. Randall

H.R. 4613: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 4617: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 4621: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 4623: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 5515: Mr. Dulski
H.R. 5516: Mr. Dulski

H.R. 6981: Mr. Hanley

H.R. 6983: Mr. Hanley
H.R. 6986: Mr. Hanley
H.R. 6987: Mr. Hanley
H.R. 7461: Mr. Corman
H.R. 7462: Mr. Corman
H.R. 7464: Mr. Cramer

H.R. 7629: Mr. Zwach

H.R. 7702: Mr. Don H. Clausen
H.R. 7790: Mr. Wampler

H.R. 8451: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 8638: Mr. Wyatt
H.R. 9125: Mr. Helstoski
H.R. 9455: Mr. Ottinger
H.R. 9876: Mr. Podell

H.R. 10106: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 10912: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 10913: Mr. Teague of Texas
H.R. 12410: Mr. Murphy of New York
H.R. 12411: Mr. Murphy of New York
H.R. 13166: Mr. Teague of Texas

91ST CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

H. R. 366

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 3, 1969

Mr. TEAGUE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38 of the United States Code to provide that payments of annuities under the retired servicemen's family protection plan shall not be considered in computing annual income for the purpose of determining eligibility for pension and of parents for dependency and indemnity compensation. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That section 503 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 4 by striking out the period at the end thereof and inserting in 5 lieu thereof a semicolon, and by adding at the end thereof 6 the following new paragraph:

"(14) payments of annuities elected under chapter

7

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2

1 SEC. 2. Section 415 (g) (1) of title 38, United States 2 Code, is amended (1) by inserting "and under the first sen3 tence of section 9 (b) of the Veterans' Pension Act of 1959" 4 immediately before the semicolon at the end of subparagraph 5 (C), (2) by striking out the period at the end thereof and 6 inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon, and (3) by adding at 7 the end thereof the following new subparagraph:

8

9

10

"(M) payments of annuities elected under chapter

73 of title 10."

SEC. 3. Section 1441 of title 10, United States Code, is

11 amended by striking out "except section 415 (g) and chap12 ter 15 of title 38".

91ST CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

H. R. 367

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 3, 1969

Mr. TEAGUE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend section 411 of title 38, United States Code, to provide additional dependency and indemnity compensation payments to widows with one or more children.

1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That section 411 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 4 by striking subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) and 5 inserting in lieu thereof the following new subsections:

6

"(b) If there is a widow with one or more children 7 below the age of eighteen of a deceased veteran, the depend8 ency and indemnity compensation paid monthly to the widow

9 shall be increased by $25 for each such child.

10

"(c) The Administrator shall increase the amount pay

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