On May 23, the VA Mission Act (S.B. 2372) passed the Senate and was on its way to the White House. The $55 billion bill will change how the VA pays for private care and will expand a VA home caregiver program to include all veterans. President Trump has said he will sign it — and it’s sure to be touted among his biggest legislative achievements.
The most controversial part of the bill revamps the way VA reimburses veterans for private care appointments — replacing the seven different complicated systems currently in use. VA doctors will decide when a vet will benefit from seeing a private doctor because the nearest VA facility is too far away or appointments aren’t available.
In most regions, VA care performs as well or better than private care and is less expensive. Critics fear the new system could bleed resources away from VA care, and start a spiral that weakens VA care, pushing more and more vets into the private sector.
Dozens of veterans and military service organizations endorsed the bill, promising to closely monitor how it is implemented.
The bill also expands the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, currently only available for post-9/11 vets. Now veterans from the Vietnam era and before would be phased in within two years. After another two years vets of all eras could apply. Information about the program and instructions on how to apply can be found at https://www.caregiver.va.gov/support/support_benefits.asp.
The VA Mission Act also initiates a review of the VA’s aging and underutilized infrastructure, with the aim of closing down facilities that aren’t worth their upkeep. Congress and veterans organizations says they will closely monitor any decisions to close down VA buildings.
Further reporting on the legislation and the problem it seeks to correct for caregivers may be found at https://www.npr.org/2018/05/23/613787285/senate-passes-55-billion-veterans-affairs-reform-bill.
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