Miller-Meeks & Brownley Introduce Legislation to Support VA Healthcare Workers

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, June 4th, 2021, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Modernization Act. This legislation would, for the first time in 30 years, increase the amount of money the VA is permitted to reimburse clinical employees for continuing professional education expenses.

“Ensuring that our veterans have the best treatment possible at the VA is one of my top priorities in Congress. For too long, the VA has lost out on talented medical staff because of inadequate stipends for those employees seeking to continue their professional development,” said Miller-Meeks. “By increasing the reimbursement amount for clinical employees, we will be able to increase retention and recruitment of medical staff at VA facilities. I am proud to introduce this commonsense legislation with Congresswoman Brownley.”

“Providing allowances to reimburse tuition, course fees, and travel expenses associated with CPE will help make the VA a more competitive employer, which is necessary to provide the best care for our veterans who deserve nothing less,” said Brownley. “It is an astonishing disservice to VA healthcare workers, and ultimately to our veterans, that in the past thirty years the allowance for these necessary expenses has not been updated – we can and must do better.”

Background:

The VA CPE Modernization Act would:

Expand the program from only board-certified physicians and dentists to all types of VA clinicians
Increase the limit for physicians and dentists to $4,000 per year
Establish a limit of $2,000 per year for nurses, psychologists, physician assistants, and other types of VA clinicians
Include a mechanism to allow the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs to adjust the annual caps in the future, based on inflation