President Obama Meets with IAVA Executive Director Rieckhoff, Key VSOs

NEW YORK - Today, on the 20^th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff met with President Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House for the first meeting between the new Administration and the heads of key Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs).

The President reached out to leaders of the veterans’ community to address the controversial issue of third party billing for service-connected injuries in response to a joint letter sent to the Administration by leading veterans’ groups, including IAVA, opposing this policy. 

“I was honored to meet with President Obama at the White House today. IAVA applauds the record increase in veterans’ health care funding in the President’s budget, and his focus on timely implementation of the new GI Bill. However, we are disappointed to hear that the Administration is still considering a third party billing option,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans. If the President and the OMB want to cut costs, they can start at AIG, not the VA.”

In February, IAVA joined other major veterans’ organizations in opposing any type of third party billing scheme for service-connected injuries. If enacted, this policy could result in increased health insurance costs for disabled veterans and their employers.

“The cost of the wars should not be shifted onto the backs of veterans and small business owners, many of which are service-disabled veterans themselves. We look forward to working with the President and First Lady Michelle Obama, who has made military families one of her top priorities, to ensure that veterans are not denied the benefits they have unequivocally earned. This is a critical time for veterans, and we’re eager to get to work,” Rieckhoff added.

To read the full letter IAVA and other VSOs sent to the President, click here.

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, please contact Chrissy Stevens, (212)982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.