Newhouse Introduces VET Act

Representative Dan Newhouse plans to reintroduce a bill this week to hold Veterans Administration hospitals accountable after what Newhouse calls mismanagement and mistreatment of veterans.

It's identical to legislation that was introduced last year and passed by the House but not the Senate.

"This is an effort to put into law a requirement that Veterans Hospitals follow the same rules that private hospitals have to follow and that is to guarantee when someone presents themselves in an emergency facility that they have to be taken in and treated."

Private hospitals have to adhere to what is know as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, EMTALA Act.

"VA Hospitals are not covered under the EMTALA law. Most of them follow the spirit of it and are directed to, but unfortunately not all of that spirit and this will put it in statute."

The bill was inspired by a Kennewick veteran who couldn't get from his car to a Seattle V-A emergency room and the staff would not come out and help him.