Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) announced that the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (VAMC) will receive additional federal funding, if needed, to meet current demands.

“Our veterans have served our country honorably – it’s now time for us to serve them,” Frankel said. “Additional funding will allow the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center to continue providing high quality care to South Florida’s veterans.”

New federal law is putting a strain on local VA dollars. It requires the VA to cover the cost of a veteran’s healthcare at an outside provider in a medical emergency, if the nearest VA facility is more than 40 miles from the veteran’s home, or if  it does not have available appointments within 30 days, or if the veteran requires specialized care that the VA facility does not offer. Due to a growing number of local veterans requiring outside care, the West Palm Beach VAMC’s budget was projected to run out before summer.

With the help of Congressman Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Veterans Committee, the Palm Beach County Delegation has secured agreement from the regional network that oversees the West Palm Beach facility to review the local medical center’s costs at the end of each month and address any budget shortfalls.

The West Palm Beach VAMC serves over 60,000 veterans each year from seven Florida counties: Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee, Glades, and Hendry.

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