Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07) has introduced the Veterans’ Credit Protection Act of 2019, which seeks to help veterans prevent and resolve credit issues resulting from delayed payment by the Department of Veterans Affairs of medical claims. The bill directs the VA to proactively reach out to veterans to inform them of how to resolve credit issues caused by a delayed payment, document the number of veterans adversely impacted by late payments, and present a plan to Congress for improving timely payment procedures.
Congressman Rouzer’s legislation is the result of his office’s interactions with numerous constituents who have had their credit harmed by late payments by the VA to outside providers.
“No veteran should take a hit to their credit because of a delayed payment by the VA,” said Congressman Rouzer. “Unfortunately, my office has worked with many veterans who have seen their credit destroyed through no fault of their own because the VA paid their medical bills late, or not at all. Even worse, many of these veterans have no idea a late VA payment has hurt their credit until they go to apply for a credit card, a mortgage, or an auto loan. By then, the damage is done. This bill will help reduce the backlog of payments and help veterans resolve credit issues when they occur.”
Rouzer’s legislation was co-sponsored by Reps. Richard Hudson (NC-08), Mark Meadows (NC-11), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Drew Ferguson (GA-03). The full text of the bill can be found here.
