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Bill offers tax breaks for veterans health travel

WASHINGTON -- A bill being revived in Congress would offer a tax break for veterans who travel distances for medical treatment.

Patients who live more than 25 miles from a VA medical center would qualify for an annual deduction up to $400 for transportation, hotels and meals when they travel for necessary care.

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said the bill he sponsored would help rural veterans in Nevada who receive care at VA facilities in Las Vegas, Reno, Sacramento, Calif., or Salt Lake City.

Aides said it would cover Las Vegans sent to other centers for treatment not available locally.

"Many veterans throughout Nevada are traveling more than an hour and over great distances in poor health in order to receive primary care," Heller said in a statement.

"This travel can be costly and strenuous for veterans and their families, especially when they are coping with a disability."

Heller introduced a similar bill in the last Congress, but it was not considered.

The tax deduction would cost the treasury $71 million over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides mileage reimbursements of 41.5 cents per mile for veterans who travel by car. It does not cover airfare or lodging.

The VA has some facilities in Southern Nevada and next year will open a large medical complex that will include a 90-bed hospital, a 140-bed nursing home, a mental health facility and an outpatient clinic in North Las Vegas.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.

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