Promised, comprehensive benefits under the VA’s Caregiver Assistance Program may not be available as intended by Congress.
On May 5, 2010, President Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163). Established in Title I of Public Law 111-163, the Caregiver Assistance Program provides caregivers for all eligible veterans who are enrolled in VA’s health care system access to education sessions, support services, counseling, mental health services, and respite care.
The law also provides a more comprehensive set of benefits for certain caregivers of veterans who have a serious injury, such as a traumatic brain injury, that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Specifically, these caregivers are also eligible to receive a monthly stipend and access to medical care.
Unfortunately, the VA’s proposed implementation plan for the comprehensive benefits, which was released in February 2011, added criteria that would limit the number of eligible veterans and thus caregivers who could receive assistance.
VetsFirst recently submitted written testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives raising concerns about VA’s plan and requesting that Congress provide eligibility for the comprehensive benefits to caregivers of veterans from all eras.
If VA continues to move forward with its current plan for the implementation of the comprehensive caregiver benefits, the number of eligible family caregivers providing needed services and supports for veterans with serious injuries due to their service will be limited to less than one-third the number Congress intended would be eligible for the program. Further, veterans with certain types of injuries that are specifically stated in the law may be left out due to the development of overly stringent criteria.
For the family members of veterans with disabilities, the battle to ensure that their loved ones receive the supports and services that they need to reintegrate into their families and communities never ends. In order to ensure that veterans with disabilities are able to receive the care they need, VetsFirst believes that our nation must fully support the dedicated caregivers of our nation’s veterans.
Other VetsFirst recommendations outlined in its written testimony included:
-The VA must ensure that the process veterans with disabilities and their family caregivers follow to participate in the comprehensive caregiver program is not overly bureaucratic.
-The VA must ensure that the caregiver education and training outlined in VA’s implementation plan recognizes the different skill sets and educational backgrounds of the caregivers.
-The VA must not limit eligibility beyond that which Congress intended due to fears about the consequences if the program is later expanded for caregivers of veterans of all eras.
VA is planning to publish an interim final rule regarding implementation of the comprehensive caregiver benefits in early May. Once published, members of the public, including VetsFirst, will be able to formally comment on VA’s proposed implementation plan.