A lot of hard work paid off – on April 23, the US Senate followed the House of Representatives in approving the amended S 1963, Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act. The Senate had passed the original bill back in November. The House passed an amended version on April 22. Being an omnibus bill, it’s hard to summarize what’s in S 1963, but there are a few items the PVA particularly supported.
An important one is that S 1963 eliminates copayments veterans with catastrophic disabilities often must make for VHA care. The PVA has long maintained that veterans with catastrophic disabilities shouldn’t have to make copayments to the VA. Congress finally agreed.
The bill expands VA support to family caregivers, which the PVA has also long advocated for. In a bill summary, sponsor Senator Daniel Akaka explains the importance of this.
“Helping caregivers of severely injured veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is the focus of this legislation. The most severely injured will need caregivers in the home. This is especially true in rural areas, where health care services are often limited, and the responsibility of caring for the severely injured falls on veterans’ families. Caregivers shouldering this burden are often unable to maintain full-time employment, limiting their income and ability to obtain health insurance. Caregivers who do remain employed often give up opportunities for career advancement to care for their family members, while their employers sustain losses related to employee absences and decreased productivity. This bill would provide caregivers of veterans with health care, counseling, support, and a living stipend. It also expands services in rural areas; and ensures that veterans who are catastrophically disabled are not inappropriately charged for those services.”
While PVA is averse to distinctions being made among veterans, any expansion of helps and supports to family caregivers is good. Nevertheless, Congress should revisit the legislation to expand assistance to family caregivers of all veterans with catastrophic disabilities.
Some other things
S 1963 will do are:
• Expand specialized healthcare services to female veterans.
• Expand healthcare outreach and accessibility to veterans in rural areas.
• Expand the VA’s mental-health services.
• Expand VA services to homeless veterans.
Additionally, the bill seeks to make the VA more family-friendly by launching a childcare pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). The bill mandates the VA to look at the feasibility of giving veterans who are the primary caregivers of children subsidies for getting childcare when going to certain medical appointments.
S 1963 will
also adjust the mileage reimbursement veterans receive for certain VA services
to be equal to that paid to federal employees when they use private vehicles
for government business.
Patrick McCallister
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