GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Last action on Dec 3, 2025Committee Hearings Held

Summary

The GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act aims to eliminate what sponsors describe as a loophole where the federal government pays twice for a veteran's medical care. Currently, when a veteran is enrolled in both the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system and a private Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, the VA often covers the cost of treatment while the private insurer continues to receive government premiums for that same veteran. This bill would require these private insurance plans to reimburse the VA for services provided to dually enrolled veterans, starting in 2026.

In addition to Medicare reimbursements, the legislation proposes to strengthen the VA's ability to collect payments from other third-party insurers, such as those involved in workers' compensation or automobile accidents. It would establish strict timelines for insurance companies to pay claims, introduce interest on late payments, and allow for civil penalties against companies that fail to comply. The goal is to ensure that healthcare funds follow the actual provider of care, potentially recovering billions of dollars that could be reinvested into VA hospitals and clinics.

Lifecycle of the Bill

Committee Hearings Held

Dec 3, 2025

HearingHouseHearing9 witnesses

Dec 3, 2025 · 15:15

H.R: 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”, H.R. 4077, the “GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Committee

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

View full hearing

Summary

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on two bills aimed at supporting veterans and their families. H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, would increase compensation for catastrophically disabled veterans and surviving family members for the first time in decades. The bill proposes an additional $10,000 annually for veterans with traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and other severe service-connected disabilities, and would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments for survivors by 1 percent annually for five years. H.R. 4077, the GUARD Veterans' Health Care Act, would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to recover healthcare costs from Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans, with recovered funds returned to VA healthcare. Witnesses included family members of affected veterans, veterans service organizations, and VA officials. Sharri Briley, widow of a Black Hawk helicopter pilot killed in Somalia, and Edgar Edmundson, father of a severely injured Iraq veteran, testified about the urgent need for increased benefits. The Veterans of Foreign Wars opposed H.R. 6047 due to its proposed funding mechanism, which would charge fees on VA home loans for disabled veterans with disability ratings of 70 percent or below on subsequent home purchases. The Paralyzed Veterans of America and other organizations supported increased benefits for catastrophically disabled veterans. Committee members unanimously supported increasing benefits but disagreed sharply over funding mechanisms, with some expressing concern about charging fees to other disabled veterans. The hearing demonstrated broad bipartisan support for expanding veteran benefits, though significant disagreement remained over how to pay for the estimated $10 billion cost over the next decade. The bills must advance through committee markup and receive a full committee vote before proceeding to the House floor for consideration.

Video

Witnesses(9)

Name	Position	Organization
Dr. Brian MillerJohn Hopkins University	Associate Professor of Medicine	John Hopkins University
Mr. Edgar Edmundson	Father of Sgt (Ret) Eric Edmundson
Mr. Kevin JohnsonVeterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affair	Director, Revenue Operations, and Office of Finance	Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affair
Mrs. Sharri Briley	Surviving Spouse of CW3 Donovan ‘Bull’ Briley
Mr. Tom WheatonParalyzed Veterans of America (PVA)	National Treasurer	Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Ms. Heather FordVeterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs	Acting Chief Financial Officer	Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs
Ms. Kristina KeenanVeterans of Foreign Wars (VFW	Legislative Director	Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW
Ms. Margarita DevlinPerforming the Delegable Duties of the Undersecretary for Benefits, The Department of Veterans Affairs	Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits	Performing the Delegable Duties of the Undersecretary for Benefits, The Department of Veterans Affairs
Ms. Stephanie LiVeterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs	Assistant Director, Regulations, Legislation, Engagement, and Trainin	Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Name

Position

Links

Dr. Brian MillerJohn Hopkins University

Associate Professor of Medicine

Mr. Edgar Edmundson

Father of Sgt (Ret) Eric Edmundson

Mr. Kevin JohnsonVeterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affair

Director, Revenue Operations, and Office of Finance

Mrs. Sharri Briley

Surviving Spouse of CW3 Donovan ‘Bull’ Briley

Mr. Tom WheatonParalyzed Veterans of America (PVA)

National Treasurer

Ms. Heather FordVeterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Acting Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Kristina KeenanVeterans of Foreign Wars (VFW

Legislative Director

Ms. Margarita DevlinPerforming the Delegable Duties of the Undersecretary for Benefits, The Department of Veterans Affairs

Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits

Ms. Stephanie LiVeterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Assistant Director, Regulations, Legislation, Engagement, and Trainin

GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Summary

Lifecycle of the Bill

H.R: 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”, H.R. 4077, the “GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Committee

Summary

Video

Witnesses(9)

H.R: 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”, H.R. 4077, the “GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Committee

Summary

Video

Witnesses(9)

Cosponsors (5)

Related Legislation (1)

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

CBO Cost Estimate

House Committee on Ways and Means

Search

Search

GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Summary

Lifecycle of the Bill

H.R: 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”, H.R. 4077, the “GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Committee

Summary

Video

Witnesses(9)

Lifecycle of the Bill

H.R: 6047, the “Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025”, H.R. 4077, the “GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act

Committee

Summary

Video

Witnesses(9)

Bill Information

Sponsors & Co-sponsors (6)

Cosponsors (5)

Policy Area

Legislative Subjects (7)

Related Legislation (1)

Related Legislation (1)

Committees (3)

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

CBO Cost Estimate

CBO Cost Estimate

House Committee on Ways and Means