[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
PUSHING VA FORWARD: REVIEW
OF VA'S ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS
FOR DISABLED VETERANS
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
__________
Serial No. 119-23
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via http://govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-165 WASHINGTON : 2025
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COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
MIKE BOST, Illinois, Chairman
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, MARK TAKANO, California, Ranking
American Samoa, Vice-Chairwoman Member
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan JULIA BROWNLEY, California
NANCY MACE, South Carolina CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS, Iowa SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina Florida
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas DELIA RAMIREZ, Illinois
JUAN CISCOMANI, Arizona NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
KEITH SELF, Texas TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY, New York
JEN KIGGANS, Virginia MAXINE DEXTER, Oregon
ABE HAMADEH, Arizona HERB CONAWAY, New Jersey
KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS, Northern KELLY MORRISON, Minnesota
Mariana Islands
TOM BARRETT, Michigan
Jon Clark, Staff Director
Matt Reel, Democratic Staff Director
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin, Chairman
JUAN CISCOMANI, Arizona CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire,
ABE HAMADEH, Arizona Ranking Member
KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS, Northern MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
Mariana Islands DELIA RAMIREZ, Illinois
TOM BARRETT, Michigan TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY, New York
Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public
hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also
published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the
official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare
both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process
of converting between various electronic formats may introduce
unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the
current publication process and should diminish as the process is
further refined.
C O N T E N T S
----------
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
Page
OPENING STATEMENTS
The Honorable Derrick Van Orden, Chairman........................ 1
The Honorable Chris Pappas, Ranking Member....................... 2
WITNESSES
Panel I
Dr. Rachel McArdle, Deputy Executive Director, Rehabilitation and
Prosthetic Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs................................. 4
Accompanied by:
Dr. Joel Scholten, Executive Director, Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Health Administration,
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Jason Latona, Assistant Director, Loan Guaranty Service,
Veterans Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Panel II
Mr. Tom Landwermeyer, Brigadier General, USA (Ret.), President
and Chief Executive Officer, Homes For Our Troops.............. 23
Mr. Mike Owens, Adaptive Sports Director, Wounded Warrior Project 25
Mr. Craig Schrimsher, President of North American Manufacturing,
BraunAbility................................................... 26
Ms. Julie Howell, Associate Legislative Director for Government
Relations, Paralyzed Veterans of America....................... 28
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements Of Witnesses
Dr. Rachel McArdle Prepared Statement............................ 39
Mr. Tom Landwermeyer Prepared Statement.......................... 40
Mr. Mike Owens Prepared Statement................................ 42
Mr. Craig Schrimsher Prepared Statement.......................... 53
Ms. Julie Howell Prepared Statement.............................. 58
Statements For The Record
Homes For Our Troops Prepared Statement.......................... 63
National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association Prepared
Statement...................................................... 64
Disabled American Veterans Prepared Statement.................... 64
PUSHING VA FORWARD: REVIEW
OF VA'S ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS
FOR DISABLED VETERANS
----------
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:29 a.m., in
room 360, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Derrick Van Orden
(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Van Orden, Ciscomani, Barrett,
Pappas, McGarvey, and Ramirez.
OPENING STATEMENT OF DERRICK VAN ORDEN, CHAIRMAN
Mr. Van Orden. Good morning. In a strange twist of events
and something that does not normally happen in the House of
Representatives, we are going to start early. Shocking. We have
our people here, so this subcommittee will come to order.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here today to
examine the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Specially
Adaptive Housing, Adaptive Automobile, and Adaptive Sports
programs to ensure these programs are effectively serving
veterans across the country. I look forward to continuing the
nonpartisan spirit of the subcommittee with Ranking Member
Pappas, Chris and I were just talking here about some stuff, to
ensure the VA's adaptive programs are modernized and work for
the needs of today's veterans.
The purpose of today's hearing is to examine how VA
provides the special adaptive housing program, adaptive
automobiles, and adaptive sports programs to our veterans. The
Special Adaptive Housing Program, or SAH, plays an important
role in providing customizable adaptions for severely service-
connected disabled veterans to adapt their homes to make them
more accessible, to lead their lives comfortably. The small but
vital program provides these true heroes with the ability not
only to stay and live in their home of their choice, but to
continue to live more independently.
Additionally, VA's Adaptive Automobile Program provides
disabled veterans with vehicle modifications. Through this
program, veterans can safely operate their vehicle
independently, hopefully getting back to the workforce and live
fulfilling lives.
VA's Adaptive Sports Program serves thousands of veterans
across the country and plays an important role in disabled
veterans regaining their independence, bettering their quality
of life and improving their overall mental health and wellness.
This program also provides opportunities for disabled veterans
to participate in events such as wheelchair games, golf
clinics, and many other sporting events that promote a healthy
lifestyle.
This Congress, my subcommittee has championed key
legislation regarding VA's adaptive programs. H.R. 522, the
Deliver for Veterans Act, championed by my friend from the
great territory of Guam, Representative Moylan, would cover the
shipping cost of delivery--excuse me, of the delivery of an
adaptive automobile. This legislation passed the House in
April. Additionally, Representative Barrett is leading a bill,
H.R. 1364, the Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe
Transportation (ASSIST) Act, which would provide more
flexibility for veterans to access the specific adaptive
automobile equipment they might need. Finally, Representative
King-Hinds will have a bill on our next legislative hearing to
enhance the SAH program. She is from the Northern Mariana
Islands. Absolutely beautiful part of the world.
When President Trump and Secretary Collins stated that this
is time to end the Biden era and make the VA put veterans
first, these are the programs we are talking about to improve
veterans lives. Instead of focusing on political theater, which
we are just not going to do here, and sound bites, we, me and
Chris, are going to lead the subcommittee to make sure that we
accomplish the mission, and the mission is the veterans. It is
not us and it is not the VA. It is the veterans. I know that
Secretary Collins shares my sentiments and I am very proud that
he is there.
I look forward to hearing more about the VA's adaptive
program and how the Trump administration plans to keep these
programs moving forward.
I now yield to my friend and ranking member, Mr. Pappas for
his opening remarks.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHRIS PAPPAS, RANKING MEMBER
Mr. Pappas. Thanks very much, Chairman Van Orden.
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers programs for
disabled veterans to improve their lives through housing,
transportation, and whole health sports. These are earned
benefits and programs designed to improve veterans' overall
health and independence. That is why I am so pleased that the
chairman scheduled this hearing today.
One success story I would like to highlight is New
Hampshire's Northeast Passage Vet Rec Program (NEP), which is a
nationally recognized nonprofit that has served more than 300
pre-and post-9-11 veterans and service members with
disabilities. Through its affiliation with the University of
New Hampshire and partnership with VA and local Veterans
Service Organizations (VSO), it offers veterans and
servicemembers in my State adaptive sports and recreation
opportunities including cycling, fishing, climbing, skiing, and
countless other activities. I have seen the equipment; it is
endless.
Granite Staters who participated in the NEP have reported
improved fitness, decreased depression, help with pain
management, and improved adjustment to disability, all of which
supports their path to recovery. Just as important, the sense
of community and fostering of long-term friendships have
substantially improved their quality of life. NEP's success is
just one example of the critical role that VA's Adaptive Sports
Programs play in helping the physical and mental well being of
our veterans and servicemembers.
In addition to adaptive sports, VA offers a spectrum of
adaptive services encompassing housing grants, vehicle
modifications, and assistive technologies. However, further
improvements are necessary to reduce significant barriers that
impede many veterans' access to these critical resources,
underscoring the urgent need for legislative solutions to
streamline eligibility, increase funding, and optimize
delivery.
To this end, this committee took bipartisan action in 2022
with the passage of the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement
Act, which was signed into law. The this legislation offered
disabled veterans the ability to purchase a second adaptive
vehicle. During a full committee markup earlier this month, I
was proud to support the ASSIST Act to build on this
legislation, which passed the House earlier this week.
The next step is passing Representative Sorenson's Autonomy
for All Disabled Veterans Act to provide veterans additional
funding for housing modifications. That legislation is
supported by Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), who I know we
will hear from later to testify on the bill.
Funding limitations like these constrain the effectiveness
of VA's adaptive programs. For instance, the Specially Adapted
Housing, SAH, and Automobile Assistance Programs are subject to
caps that often fail to align with prevailing real world costs.
Consequently, veterans with severe disabilities may incur
substantial out-of-pocket expenses to facilitate necessary home
or vehicle modifications.
I want to thank Homes For Our Troops, which is an
organization in New Hampshire, and their fundraising efforts,
which help bridge the gap between what an SAH grant covers and
the actual cost of constructing a brand new adaptive home.
However, Congress must increase these caps and implement annual
adjustments to reflect inflation and ensure that veterans can
take full advantage of these important programs.
As I mentioned earlier, adaptive sports are also an
important part for the whole health and well-being of disabled
veterans. Sports foster physical fitness and mental well-being
by reducing stress and isolation. They rebuild confidence and
reintegrate veterans in their communities. Adaptive sports must
continue to be part of rehabilitation and lifelong care plans
for veterans.
To improve accessibility to these programs, Congress should
increase funding for adaptive sports programs and grants that
directly support veteran participation. Streamlining the
process for veterans to access adaptive equipment and
specialized training is also crucial. Congress should support
collaborations between VA, community-based sports
organizations, and veterans service organizations to expand
program reach and awareness and ensuring that all interested
veterans and have the opportunity to participate.
Last, VA needs to simplify the process for accessing these
benefits. Veterans frequently encounter convoluted paperwork,
inconsistent communication from VA offices, and ambiguous
eligibility criteria. Congressional action could mandate a
unified and transparent system, enabling veterans to apply for
multiple adaptive sports via a single integrated portal
supported by case managers with specialized expertise in
disability-related needs.
Insufficient outreach from VA also represents another
critical area for improvement. Many eligible veterans remain
unaware of available benefits, particularly in rural and
underserved communities. Congress should prioritize investments
in proactive outreach strategies, fostering collaborations with
VSOs, community centers, and healthcare providers to ensure
that targeted dissemination of information gets to the veterans
who are eligible.
As I said, disabled veterans have earned these benefits
through their service. I hope our work here today will identify
improvements that we can all agree on to allow these veterans
and servicemembers that we represent to take full advantage of
programs that will help them.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Ranking Member Pappas. I will now
introduce the witness panel.
Our first witness is Dr. Rachel McArdle, deputy executive
director, Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services, Veterans
Health Administration (VHA) at the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Dr. McArdle is accompanied by Dr. Joel Scholten,
executive director of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation
Services, Veterans Health Administration at the Department of
Veterans Affairs; and Mr. Jason Latona. Out of the three of
you, you have the most easily pronounced name, sir, and you are
a Marine, assistant director, Loan Guarantee Service, Veterans
Benefits Administration (VBA) at the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
I will ask the witnesses to stand and please raise their
right hand.
[Witnesses sworn.]
Mr. Van Orden. All right. The record will reflect that the
witnesses answered in the affirmative. Please be seated.
Dr. McArdle, you are now recognized for 5 minutes to
deliver your testimony on behalf of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
STATEMENT OF RACHEL MCARDLE
Dr. McArdle. Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and
other members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to discuss how VA fulfills the Nation's promise to
care for veterans through the administration of adaptive
programs. VA provides specialty adapted housing assistance,
home improvement and structural alteration assistance,
automobile adaptive equipment, and the Adaptive Sports Grants
Program to maximize veteran independence.
Joining me today, Dr. Joel Scholten, executive director of
the Physical Medicine and Rehab Service, and Mr. Jason Latona,
assistant director, Loan Guarantee Service, Veterans Benefits
Administration.
The Specialty Adapted Housing Grant Program offers various
grants for eligible veterans and servicemembers, helping them
acquire adapted housing necessary to service-connected
disabilities. VA also assists if an adaptive home is destroyed
or significantly damaged by a natural disaster. The program is
individualized with VA agents guiding veterans through the
process to contract with builders of their choice. The program
staff use their expertise in home adaptations to ensure
projects comply with applicable statutes and meet the
individual veterans needs. The program has approved over 2,000
grants annually for 6 of the last 7 fiscal years and
anticipates similar or higher levels in the future.
VA is modernizing the Specially Adapted Housing Special
Home Adaptation System to enhance customer service. This
multiyear project uses automation to streamline benefits
delivery and improve oversight with enhanced monitoring from
application to completion. The first phase of this modernized
system is expected to begin in July 2025. Individualized
attention to each Adaptive House grantee ensures oversight.
In Fiscal Year 2020, VA centralized financial management
for the Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Program disbursements,
eliminating third party escrow agents. This change strengthened
internal controls, improved project management, accelerated
home adaptations' timelines, and removed a $500 escrow fee for
veterans. The VA Home Improvement and Structural Alterations
benefit provides financial assistance for home modifications to
eligible veterans and servicemembers undergoing medical
discharge due to permanent disability under certain
circumstances. Home improvement or structural alteration
projects are prescribed by VA clinicians based on clinical
needs and are necessary for the provision of home health
treatment and maximizing home accessibility.
VA's Automobile Adaptive Equipment Program reimburses or
pays for adaptive equipment for eligible veterans and Active-
Duty members with certain disabilities. The equipment is
prescribed by VA fluent physicians or certified driver
rehabilitation specialists. VA is authorized to prescribe and
reimburse or pay for operational and nonoperational equipment.
VA works directly with--VA does not modify, install, repair, or
replace such equipment. VA works directly with dealers,
modifiers, and alterers to ensure all prescribed necessary
adaptive equipment enable the veteran to safely drive or ride
as a passenger in their personal vehicles. Examples of
automobile adaptive equipment include low-effort steering,
electronic controls, hand controls, wheelchair tie-downs,
vehicle lifts, and voice command systems.
VA manages an Adaptive Sports and Equine-Assisted Therapy
Grants Program to promote the lifelong physical and mental
health of veterans with disabilities through regular
participation in physical activity. Through this program,
grants are awarded to nongovernmental entities experienced in
managing large-scale adaptive sports programs. These grants
offer opportunities for veterans and Active-Duty servicemembers
to engage in adaptive sports, utilizing skills taught by VA
clinicians and apply them in their daily life in their local
communities. During the last 9 years, VA has awarded over 119
million in grants through the Adaptive Sports Grants Program.
In Fiscal Year 2024, 91 grants, totaling 15.9 million were
awarded, benefiting over 15,000 veterans and servicemembers.
In conclusion, VA remains dedicated to providing efficient,
effective, and meaningful adaptive programs for veterans. Thank
you for your support and for the opportunity to speak today. We
welcome your questions.
[The Prepared Statement Of Rachel McArdle Appears In The
Appendix]
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Doctor. Your testimony will be
entered, written testimony--excuse me, statement will be
entered into the hearing record.
We are going to proceed to questioning. Everyone knows the
deal here. We are doing 5 minutes.
I now recognize Ranking Member Pappas for 5 minutes to
question the witnesses.
Mr. Pappas. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I thank you
for the testimony. This is really an important subject here for
veterans that I represent in New Hampshire and this is all
about improving quality of life, giving them the best health
outcomes, but also allowing them to live with the independence
that they deserve.
I want to get to you first, Mr. Latona. I want to ask about
the Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Program. I am wondering if
you can tell me more how veterans find out about this
particular program.
Mr. Latona. Yes, sir, and thank you for your question. We
have several mechanisms by which we communicate the program. We
have outreach efforts that cover from our internal systems.
Veterans, once they are determined to be eligible through VA's
compensation service, they are contacted immediately by a
representative from the Specially Adapted Housing Program. They
are also put it on an automated letter schedule where they will
get annual letters notifying them of their eligibility or
remaining entitlement.
We also work closely with other VA programs, like my
colleagues sitting here at the table, to make sure they have
fact sheets and information about our grant programs in case
they have veterans who they feel would benefit from any of
those programs.
Then last, we work with external partners, nonprofits,
veteran service organizations. We meet with them regularly, as
regularly as possible, to make sure they are aware of the
programs, too, so they can help steer veterans toward not just
the Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program, but any of the
other programs that also provide the same types of features
from VA.
Mr. Pappas. Well, I appreciate how you are getting the word
out. We have heard from some veterans that the process can take
as long as 18 months because of staff turnover, losing
paperwork, and some of the veterans who suffer from Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease do not have the
kind of time to get through the approval process and get the
work done on their home. How is eligibility determined and how
long does that process take?
Mr. Latona. The eligibility process happens from VA's
compensation service, and I would say on average it is probably
3 to 6 months, depending on the complexity of the case. Every
veteran is unique, their service-connected disabilities are
unique. Once they are determined to be entitled and they
receive their eligibility, that is when Specially Adapted
Housing is contacted and that is the point at which we reach
out to them.
To your point as well, we also understand it can be kind of
complex having to navigate a recent disability as well as the
paperwork required. For veterans who have certain disabilities
like ALS, we have an expedited process where we will focus on
fewer serious adaptations rather than the entire project scope
to try to speed along the grant approval process.
Mr. Pappas. Dr. McArdle, if I could turn to you. How do
veterans find out about Adaptive Sports Programs?
Dr. McArdle. We have focused on outreach throughout the
last several years. There are several reasons--several ways
that they can find out about our Adaptive Sports Programs. At
our national rehab events, we hold a variety of outreach
opportunities such as health and wellness expos, informational
tables that check in for the events, educational sessions, and
we encourage veterans to attend to learn about not just what
the adaptive sports portfolio offers, but also what other
benefits and healthcare services they are entitled to.
They can--we also use outreach through social media, VA
news blogs. We have an adaptive sports website that is open to
the public that we constantly update. We do emails to
clinicians so that clinicians are aware of all of our offerings
because the clinicians are our Ambassadors out in the field
across the enterprise, who are letting their veterans know we
do not just target recreation therapists or adaptive sports
clinicians in these emails. We target all of our rehab teams so
that all rehab providers are aware of what we have to offer.
Mr. Pappas. Oftentimes, veterans themselves can be the best
validators and evangelists for these Adaptive Sports Programs
to let their peers and community know about the benefits of
them.
I am wondering if you can talk about staffing and whether
you feel there is enough staffing to support all of the
programs and special events that VA offers.
Dr. McArdle. Currently, the VA is committed to ensuring we
have enough staffing to have no impact on veteran care.
Mr. Pappas. Have we seen any positions specifically related
to Adaptive Sports Programs be impacted by any of the hiring
freeze or any of the resignation offers to VA employees?
Dr. McArdle. Not to my knowledge. I would have to take that
back for the record for specifics.
Mr. Pappas. Okay. If there is any more information there,
we would love to hear about that. How many grants were awarded
and what was the total amount in Fiscal Year 2024?
Dr. McArdle. Just one moment. There were 91 grants awarded
in 2024. The total amount was 15.9 million.
Mr. Pappas. Okay. Are you getting annual reports back from
all the grantees?
Dr. McArdle. Yes, sir.
Mr. Pappas. Okay. One recommendation that came out of a
2021 Inspector General (IG) report was on adequate staffing,
and we want to ensure that experienced staff are still
providing the oversight.
I see my time is up here, so maybe we can have a second
round, but thanks very much. Okay.
Mr. Van Orden. Too many buttons back here. The gentleman's
time has expired. Chris, if you want to do a second round,
absolutely. We are here to make sure we get all the answers we
want.
The chair now recognizes my friend, Mrs. Ramirez from the
great State of Illinois, for 5 minutes. Oh, excuse me, I stand
corrected. I now recognize Representative Barrett from the even
greater State of Michigan for 5 minutes.
Mr. Barrett. Not your great friend. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Appreciate it. Thank you to our panelists for being
here today. Appreciate the work that you put into this. I did
have a few questions for you.
Dr. McArdle, we have heard from, I have personally heard,
too, from some of the automotive adaptive equipment providers
that the VA has been delayed in rendering payment for already
approved adaptive equipment for veterans that are seeking to,
you know, certainly have that provided. I have heard it can
even take more than 6 months to pay a provider back. Again,
these are things that have already been approved through the
VA, but the actual final payment to the vendors is taking a
substantial amount of time that can really impact their ability
to, you know, run their businesses effectively. Can you give me
an update as to why that is taking place and what we are doing
to correct that?
Dr. McArdle. The Automobile Adaptive Equipment Program is a
joint program that collaboratively VBA and VHA work together. I
am going to defer to my colleague, Mr. Latona, to start off.
Mr. Barrett. Sure.
Mr. Latona.Yes. Thank you for your question, sir.
As Dr. McArdle stated, the process begins with the veteran
being rated. That is a VBA process, after which it turns over
to VHA, who determines which type of equipment they
specifically need and they are going to prescribe. Then it
comes back to VBA for payment. As far as the payment goes, the
payment process is not a national process currently within VBA,
so local offices handle them themselves. We are aware of that
there is a number of people, of vendors who have claimed the
late payments. We have not gotten that data, but we are looking
forward to looking at it and being able to address it at that
point, once we have cases that we can dig into.
Mr. Barrett. Sure. I have, you know, I have heard that VA
is like, well, we have not seen that, and maybe it is anecdotal
here and there, but I have had providers show me a list of
pretty substantial delayed payments that is not a one-and two-
off situation. I think I heard that there were a multitude of
instances where this was happening and it was taking more than
6 months on average to process payments, sometimes far longer
than that, over 200 or 250 days even. That is very hard for
those vendors to continue to offer that service. The concern
that I have is that they are going to no longer contract with
the VA for that. That will lead to a scarcity of available
vendors, and veterans will have to go farther and search harder
to find one that will accept their VA benefits. It is something
that I think we need to fix. Is there a single point person
that would be responsible for correcting this?
Mr. Latona. There is currently an IPT, integrated product
team, that is put together to actually investigate this exact
problem.
Mr. Barrett. Okay.
Mr. Latona. There is leadership from VHA and from VBA
getting together to discuss it and come up with resolutions. We
would love to follow up with the court.
Mr. Barrett. Yes. Who is in charge of that team, that team
that you described?
Mr. Latona. I am not sure who the specific point person is,
but several leaders across both. We can provide you that
information as well.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. What I do not want is for this to just
be like, you know, six people are in charge of it, and no one
is really in charge of it. Then it kind of--everybody, you
know, does not have ownership. If there is a specific person
that is responsible for this, I feel like that would help work
through some of the challenges that exist. If there is a way
to, you know, identify whom that person or whatever role that
is, to really figure out a way to work through this, that would
be something that I think would be useful. I think it is fair.
You know, we provide this for veterans as we should. It is
an expectation that we have. Then on the other end of that,
there is a vendor that builds that equipment, that needs to
have that payment to make their own payroll and pay their own,
you know, overhead as well. We are going to lose that, that
vendor relationship with the VA and, ultimately, veterans are
going to suffer if it goes too far that way.
Mr. Latona. Right, sir. I agree. Yes, these are trusted
partners of ours. They are not--we do not want to take
advantage of them. We need to pay them for the service that
they are providing fairly.
Mr. Barrett. Right.
Mr. Latona. That is the intention of the IPT, and we will
definitely be able to provide you specific names.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. Yes, I appreciate that. If we can meet
with that team, I would like to just hear about their progress
and what they are doing and really stay on top of this. Thank
you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
Now I recognize my dear friend, Mrs. Ramirez from the great
State of Illinois.
Ms. Ramirez. The greatest, thank you. Thank you, Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. That is not true.
Ms. Ramirez. I want to thank the witnesses for being here
with us today.
Last week, I had a chance to ask Secretary Collins about
his commitment to serving all our veterans, not just the ones
the administration may recognize worthy. I also asked him how
he intended to continue providing services to veterans after
the dismantling of offices, like the Office of Equity Assurance
and programs that serve diverse veterans. My questions went
mostly unanswered. In fact, on the record, he stated that the
VA workers, many of whom are veterans, who followed his
directives, were maliciously compliant.
Blaming workforce, cutting services, and drastically
limiting programs veterans can access is, to me, a page out of
the Musk-Trump administration. I think it is really important
to say on record, all veterans still face barriers to accessing
housing, healthcare, and basic support. It is why this
committee hearing is so important.
The providers and their services are not just under strain.
They are being actively undermined by their leader and then
blamed on systemic shortcomings. Unfortunately, one of the
programs at risk due to the VA's leadership and decision-making
is the Specially Adapted Housing Program, and as you just
mentioned, SAH. Veterans who need accessible homes, those with
serious injuries and life-changing disabilities should not be
facing delays or administrative confusion.
Mr. Latona, my question is for you. Do you currently have
enough staff in place to process SAH grants and carry out
timely inspections? Yes or no?
Mr. Latona. I would answer that question by saying the
Department is following all court orders regarding staffing and
reporting on staffing, ma'am.
Ms. Ramirez. You would say you do have enough staff right
now to process the grants?
Mr. Latona. I would say that the--our mission is critical
and we will never have enough staff, in my opinion. We always
need more staff to perform this critical mission.
Ms. Ramirez. Mr. Latona, is the staff training for that
staff consistent across the board? Is it pretty much the same
uniformity and training?
Mr. Latona. We have national training for all agents. It is
a very complex job. Our specially adapted housing agents need
to be counselors and they need to be well versed in
construction and all different kinds of elements. We spend a
lot of time with veterans in their homes. We have to have
sensitivity training as well. We do have national training. The
most effective training we get is our on-the-job training with
more senior level employees.
Ms. Ramirez. Got it. Just follow up on that, understanding
the comprehensive approach and spectrum and the training, can
you tell me who in the VA is responsible for delivering the
training itself?
Mr. Latona. Yes, the individual operations assistant
directors across the country deliver the training locally. Then
we have a deputy director in Loan Guarantee Service who is in
charge of operations, who is overall in charge.
Ms. Ramirez. The deputy director is overall responsible for
the training----
Mr. Latona. For Specially Adapted Housing agents.
Ms. Ramirez [continuing]. and then, obviously, the staff.
Okay. We all agree that balanced budgets are important. Mr.
Latona, I want to talk a little bit more about this. How does
the VA calculate the amount of each SAH grant?
Let me follow with the second question because I know I am
limited on time. When determining grant amounts does the VA
account for inflation?
Mr. Latona. Yes. We have several mechanisms that we use. We
have the cost of construction index that were authorized each
year based upon the industry performance of construction, we
are able to raise the grant amounts to kind of keep pace with
the cost of construction across the industry. We also
implemented the Ryan Kules Act recently which increased grant
amounts and also provided a bunch of other very essential
benefits for these veterans.
We do track that and we are doing our best to keep up with
it. Right now, our SAH grants, the maximum grants cover about
20, 25 percent of the average cost to housing.
Ms. Ramirez. Got it. What about other rising costs, like
labor shortages or tariffs? Has the VA elevated concerns about
how broader Federal policy, like arbitrary tariffs or rolling
back labor regulations or immigration crackdowns, can affect
some of the construction costs for adaptive housing?
Mr. Latona. Well, from our role, the increased costs of
labor and materials has a significant impact on the ability of
the veteran to stretch their grant funds, which is really what
we are trying to do.
Ms. Ramirez. Got it.
Mr. Latona. Once we identify what the veteran needs, we
want to pay for all those, if possible. We also have the
ability to stack different benefits. The Veteran Readiness and
Employment (VR&E) Housing Adaptation Grant and the SAH Grant
can be used together if needed to help stretch those dollars.
Ms. Ramirez. I just got 30 seconds, so let me just
transition really quickly. I want to talk to you a little bit
about vehicle adaptation benefits, and this could be for Dr.
McArdle or Dr. Scholten, whoever is best positioned. How many
adaptive vehicle applications does the VA receiver receive
annually, and how long, on average, does it take to determine
eligibility?
Dr. Scholten. I believe that question should be directed to
Mr. Latona.
Mr. Latona. Right.
Ms. Ramirez. Mr. Latona.
Mr. Latona. Thank you. I think it falls within the scope of
the Veterans Benefits Administration, who determines
eligibility.
Ms. Ramirez. How many applications annually?
Mr. Latona. I have to take that back and find out exactly
how many numbers, but I do know that we delivered over 1,040
adaptive equipment grants last year, and 620----
Mr. Van Orden. The gentlelady's time has expired.
Ms. Ramirez. Chairman, if I can just have it for the
record, if I can get that information.
Mr. Van Orden. Oh, 100 percent. We are going to do a second
round, too.
Ms. Ramirez. Perfect. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. You are welcome. The gentlelady yields back.
The chair now recognizes a very good friend from the great
State of Arizona, Mr. Juan Ciscomani.
Mr. Ciscomani. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to our witnesses for coming today. Primary purpose of
the VA is to ensure veterans are not only receiving benefits on
healthcare when they need it, but to ensure their quality of
everyday life can also be improved. Thank you for the work that
you do there.
Now, a question here, Dr. McArdle. Did I get that right?
Okay, close enough. Please correct me on that one. I want to
get it right. In your testimony, you mentioned the special
Adaptive Housing Grant Program has approved more than 2,000
grants, grant awards annually in 6 of the last 7 fiscal years.
What do you attribute to the higher usage of this program, and
do you think this will continue?
Dr. McArdle. I am going to turn it over to my colleague,
Mr. Latona.
Mr. Ciscomani. Okay. Sir?
Mr. Latona. Thank you for the question, sir. Yes,
definitely it is true. Yes. In Fiscal Year 2024, we approved
over 2,300 grants, over $150 million, 96 percent of those were
our larger grant, called the Specially Adapted Housing Grant,
$121,000.
As far as the volume goes, one of the reasons, I think, is
outreach. We have word of mouth is very popular among our
veterans. Once they find out you can get a grant, I would say
they will share that information. I would also say these
partnerships that we have with our other VBA programs, like my
colleagues here at the table and the folks who are going to be
on this next panel, our nonprofit partners, VSO partners, they
spend a lot of time performing outreach and helping to carry
the water for us to our veterans.
Mr. Ciscomani. Excellent. Thank you for that. Now, do the
programs you oversee interact with or serve veterans
experiencing homelessness?
Mr. Latona. Not directly. Veterans for our program will
usually either own a home or be residing with a family member.
Mr. Ciscomani. Okay. Do you think there are some
opportunities for partnership with other VA services, agencies,
or even the private sector on this?
Mr. Latona. Definitely. We partner with many programs
within VA, many folks who are here today to make sure that we
are providing comprehensive benefit. We understand that these
are lifelines to a lot of veterans. A veteran who is coming to
Specially Adapted Housing for a housing adaptation may not know
about the automobile grant or may not know about another grant.
We try to make sure we spread the word of all those, and we are
Ambassadors for all the programs in VA when we meet with them.
Mr. Ciscomani. Do you have any example you can give me on
how that is working in terms of the partnerships with local
agencies or even the private sector?
Mr. Latona. Absolutely.
Mr. Ciscomani. Maybe, you know, a good model that is
working somewhere that we could replicate somewhere else.
Mr. Latona. Absolutely. We will pull an example out of
someone who is on the second panel. The Homes For Our Troops
nonprofit organization provides homes for veterans who have
been injured following 2001. In order for those veterans to be
able to get that benefit from Homes For Our Troops, they need
to be eligible for specially adapted housing. This requires us
to work together. We review house plans to make sure that their
home plans meet the requirements so we can expedite grant
delivery.
Mr. Ciscomani. Where is this happening?
Mr. Latona. All across the country.
Mr. Ciscomani. All across the country. Any Arizona good
examples you could point me to so that I can----
Mr. Latona. We have many grants in Arizona. I do not have
any in front of me right now, but I can definitely provide
examples.
Mr. Ciscomani. Yes, I would love to get that just to know
what is in our community, and my district specifically, in
Congressional District 6 (CD6), and we can--love to go and pay
more attention to that and go see it. Can you, with the time I
have left here, can you explain what the VA is doing to
eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, and specifically in the SAH
program, to ensure that severely disabled veterans are getting
what they need and bad actors are not taking advantage of the
program?
Mr. Latona. Definitely, and thank you for that question.
That is a very important area, too.
One of the big steps we took recently was to remove third
party escrows. What happens when a veteran receives their
grant, a third party escrow company or the VA would hold onto
the money and disperse the funds as the project was completed
to make sure that we were not paying for work that was not
completed. Rather than having third parties do this, which
sometimes led to some funds being dispersed too quickly before
work was done, and then we would have to try to recoup those
funds, what we are doing now is VA holds those funds. We
require a letter of satisfaction from the veteran and we
perform a compliance inspection before any funds are dispersed.
Mr. Ciscomani. That is interesting. Who were these third
parties doing this before?
Mr. Latona. Third parties, it was the veteran's choice.
Mr. Ciscomani. Veteran's choice, Okay.
Mr. Latona. Veteran was able to choose whatever attorney or
bank they wanted to use and they would usually be charged a
fee. This change also reduced that--eliminated that fee.
Mr. Ciscomani. Less money flowed down to the final purpose
with all the different steps on that. With a little time I have
left here, 15 seconds, with the bringing this back in house,
did that add a additional staff member within the VA network or
how did that impact----
Mr. Latona. No, we performed with the existing staff.
Mr. Ciscomani. Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I
yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman's time has expired.
The chair now recognizes my friend, Mr. McGarvey, from the
great State of Kentucky.
Mr. McGarvey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you
and I want to thank everyone who is here today for taking the
time to dig into this really important issue. This is something
that enables our veterans to live full lives, complete lives,
happier, healthier lives. It gives them that sense of purpose
that they so desperately oftentimes need, as we talk about in
this committee.
Dr. McArdle, I want to start with you a little bit. The VA
is special. VA is special because its mission is to serve
veterans. It is to make veterans lives better. It is not for
profit. It is for our veterans. As a result of that, we get
amazing results coming out of your office. The artificial limbs
you all are making, the wheelchairs that are built for speed
and for maneuverability, the tactile devices for visually
impaired athletes, these are so important. They are not just
meeting our veterans and our veteran athletes where they are.
They are making their lives better. These devices provide
purpose, they provide activity, they provide community and
belonging. Our veterans should not lose that just because they
lose part of what they had before they entered the service.
Adaptive sports are so incredibly important. We got to see
it firsthand in Louisville this year. In February, Louisville
hosted the annual Wheelchair Rugby Invitational. There were 20
teams all over competing in a round robin style tournament to
get the prestigious Code of Honor Cup. This was more than a
display of athleticism. This was determination, this was joy,
this was happiness, this was belonging. It is something that
our veterans need. Need. Not just something they want, it is
something they need.
I want to talk about this. What kind of technological
innovations is your office investigating or investing in right
now for the next generation of adaptive equipment to keep going
forward, to keep our veterans having the sense of purpose and
belonging? Are you able to partner with any outside researchers
or manufacturers in that work?
Dr. McArdle. Thank you for your question. It is a very
exciting area for us as well and we feel just as passionately
about it as you do. I am going to defer the question to my
colleague, Dr. Scholten.
Dr. Scholten. Yes, thank you for your question and also
your enthusiasm. We as a rehab provider, I feel that adaptive
sports and any efforts we can provide to help veterans
reintegrate into their community is essential in not only their
rehab plan, but their wellness plan. The Adaptive Sports
Program partners very closely with our clinicians throughout
our system of care. Relying on those clinicians to stay
advanced or up to date with any technological advancements in
prosthetic development, training opportunities through physical
therapy and physiatry, and additionally pain management
techniques that allow veterans to function at a higher level.
We have a very robust research portfolio within VA that
looks at a variety of musculoskeletal issues as well as
traumatic brain injury and amputation-related research that
help to continually push forward advancements to enhance
veterans recovery.
Mr. McGarvey. I think, you know, innovation is key all over
the VA. We have to continue to innovate to find the best
treatment and care for our veterans and we have the opportunity
and the ability to do so.
Are you all partnering with any outside groups really to
kind of to help with this effort as well?
Dr. Scholten. We are partnering with a number of academic
institutions through our research grant portfolio to connect
with the brightest minds across the country to further
investigate technological advancements. In addition, we partner
with our VSO partners to include greater participation and
awareness of these events. Then we stay--try to stay aware and
open for innovative ideas from our vendor--the vendor community
throughout the country to better understand any new advances
that might be coming down the pipeline.
Mr. McGarvey. We want to keep working to make that
innovation possible. Switching gears, let us talk about the
Volunteer Transportation Network for just a second. A 2024 U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows a 50
percent decline in rides provided to medical appointments for
veterans, partly in part because the number of volunteers is
decreasing. What is VA doing right now to replenish its
volunteer base and increase the use of this program, getting
our veterans where they need to go?
Dr. McArdle. I am going to have to take that one back for
the record and get you some more information on that.
Mr. McGarvey. Perfect. Got it.
With that, I am out of time. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
I now recognize myself for 5 minutes.
Okay. I just have some real serious, like, basic rubber
meeting road questions here. This subcommittee is also
responsible for the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). It is
just baffling to me that any veteran, especially someone that
is being medically discharged, is unaware of these programs. I
mean, that is a galactic failure. We are going to fix that.
These programs will be introduced into the TAP program. For
someone not to have thought of this earlier is shameful. I do
not want anybody leaving the service and, ma'am, you said that
people are being medically discharged and they still do not
know about these things. Sure, it is great, peer to peer,
veteran talking to veteran, saying, you know, these programs
are available, but no.
Dr. Scholten, how long have you been at the VA?
Dr. Scholten. I have been working for the VA for 27 years.
Mr. Van Orden. Dr. McArdle.
Dr. McArdle. I started as a trainee 30 years ago.
Mr. Van Orden. Mr. Latona.
Mr. Latona. Seven years, sir.
Mr. Van Orden. Seven. We got roughly 60 years' worth of
experience at the VA and no one thought about talking about
this in the TAP program? Okay. We will do better.
Mr. Barrett brought up some very salient points about
payment. We had one dental clinician in the Network for
Community Care. I went there. It was an hour drive. It took the
VA so long to pay him that they dropped out.
Mr. Latona, we are not going to look into this anymore. We
are not going to have meetings, we are not going to coordinate.
We are not doing any of that. I am going to--I request
unanimous consent to enter this into the record. Hearing no
objection, so ordered.
All right. I am going to give you these things, and you are
going to take them back to the office and you are going to look
into them, and you are going to pay these people. I am, and I
am sure, Chris, as we have not talked about it before, we, can
I speak for him, possibly, we are willing to accept some risk,
because if you cannot figure out how to pay somebody, they are
going to leave, and that what Mr. Barrett said will come to
fruition.
Then my Marine brother back there, who was grievously
injured in combat outside of Balad, right? That is right, 2005,
will not be able to get his house fixed or his vehicles fixed
because of administrative inertia.
I am going to give this to you. I am also going to send a
note to the Secretary. With 60 years' of experience, you can
figure this out. It is literally signing a check. Mr. Latona,
that is not a question. I am just telling you what is going to
happen.
Mr. Latona. Yes, sir. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. You said, Mr. Latona, that there is an
expediting process for people with ALS and some other things.
What is that process?
Mr. Latona. Yes, sir. Thanks for the question. With most
projects, we walk through a entire scope of a project. Veterans
will usually have a little more time. They will want to take
time to find a builder that they want to work with. We enable
them to do that, and then we help facilitate that conversation
to identify which adaptations they might need.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay, Mr. Latona, stop it. Okay. There
should be no expediting process. Every process should be
expedited. Just because a veteran is not going to die within 2
weeks does not mean you should not be running down the road at
1,000 miles an hour to get that fixed. It is within your power,
like it is something you can do and you need to do it.
The average time is what from the time someone is
discharged to their home is a place where they can live. What
is the average time?
Mr. Latona. Sir, I am not aware of that time, but I know
from application to delivery could be somewhere between 6 to 12
months for specially adapted housing projects.
Mr. Van Orden. Right. TAP is supposed to be done 6 months
prior and then iterative. Why did not that application process
start while they are still in the military? Can you answer that
question?
Mr. Latona. Well, we do work closely, actually, with the
services and Wounded Warrior programs when we are identified.
Mr. Van Orden. That is a civilian organization, sir. You
are the----
Mr. Latona. No, no, the, I am sorry, the--within the
service. Each service has their own Wounded Warrior Program----
Mr. Van Orden. Yes.
Mr. Latona [continuing]. within them. That is who we work
with.
Mr. Van Orden. Not the Wounded Warrior Project. Okay.
We are going to do a second round, and I will adhere to my
own rule. My time is about to expire, and the chair will now
recognize Ranking Member Pappas for 5 minutes.
Mr. Pappas. Thanks. Dr. McArdle, if I could go back to you.
We were in the middle of a discussion when I ran out of time
before. I just wanted to--I was highlighting this 2021 GAO
report, which talked about adequate staffing levels, and they
specifically cited needing more staff with grant management
experience. I am wondering if you could speak to where we are
today. What we have been hearing is that, based on this report,
we were understaffed in 2021 and that we are less staffed
today. Can you speak to that level of staffing specifically to
people with grant management experience?
Dr. McArdle. We have made a lot of progress on a lot of the
recommendations that were recommended in that 2021 Office of
Inspector General (OIG) report. Is that what we are referring
to?
Mr. Pappas. Yep.
Dr. McArdle. Thank you. In terms of getting all of the
recommendations closed, that report has been closed. We have--
we do have a limited number of staff within the grants program,
but the Department is committed to ensuring that there is no
interruption in services provided to the grantees or to
veterans who would be utilizing those grant programs.
Mr. Pappas. Can you define better ``making progress''? I
know you spoke about----
Dr. McArdle. Sure.
Mr. Pappas [continuing]. the recommendations in the report,
but specifically as it pertains to staffing, where are we today
versus when that report was issued?
Dr. McArdle. I would have to take that for the record.
Mr. Pappas. Okay. Can you give us the assurance, though,
that VA currently has adequate staffing with respect to being
able to properly monitor these grant programs?
Dr. McArdle. Yes, sir.
Mr. Pappas. Just going back to what you had told me before,
I asked you specifically whether positions in adaptive sports
have been impacted by the administration's hiring freeze or the
offer for people to resign. You said you did not believe that
any were impacted. Just talking more with staff in the
intervening time, we have heard from groups that have told us
that there are positions--that are people that have left their
positions that support adaptive sports. I am wondering if you
can provide any additional clarity now on that or if you can
come back to us in short order with specific information about
where we stand with staffing related to adaptive sports.
Dr. McArdle. I would be happy to take it for the record, to
get back to you. I do just want to clarify that adaptive sports
clinicians are in various occupations: recreational therapists,
physical therapists, occupational therapists. It would be a--we
will be happy to come back.
Mr. Pappas. Yes, but you must have an accounting of who
is--which clinicians are connected to Adaptive Sports Programs.
Correct?
Dr. McArdle. They are across the enterprise and they are
frontline field-based providers who are our coaches for our
veterans out in the field and across the enterprise. That is
who we rely on to assist us even with our national rehab
events.
Mr. Pappas. Would not you agree that is a pretty important
element of delivering these programs to veterans?
Dr. McArdle. Absolutely. Dr. Scholten.
Dr. Scholten. I would just like to add that, so our
Adaptive Sports Programs are across the enterprise, as Dr.
McArdle mentioned. The critical piece about that is our
rehabilitation staff stationed across every medical center are
aware of these programs and pursuing not only their working
with veterans to maximize their rehabilitation potential, but
also working with community partners to provide adaptive
sporting activities that are available in the community. This
is an essential part of that reintegration piece that we--that
you mentioned earlier from transitioning from the skilled
rehabilitation part of their care after an injury toward
reintegrating back into the community.
We really leverage not just a specific subset of our
rehabilitation professionals across the country, but every
rehab individual and, in most cases, every rehab staff member
contributes or participates part of their time into adaptive
sporting events, whether it is through support of the actual
event, recommending to veterans to participate in that, or to
build onto their rehab and wellness plan.
Mr. Pappas. Okay, I appreciate that. Just to sum up, I am
looking for some more clarity with respect to positions that
have been impacted by the hiring freeze within the adaptive
sports or under the adaptive sports umbrella, anyone connected
to that, including clinicians. I am also looking for more
information in the wake of the IG report on staffing with grant
management experience, making sure that we have enough and just
kind of trying to assess what level we are at today. If you can
follow up with us, we look forward to that information.
I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
The chair now recognizes Representative Barrett from the
great State of Michigan for 5 minutes.
Mr. Barrett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate the first
round of questioning.
Wanted to also ask, so, Dr. McArdle and for the panel, too,
if there is someone more appropriate to answer this, I know
that we have seen a significant rise in construction costs
across the economy. I spoke to realtors in my district and they
were saying, you know, you cannot buy an affordable home any
longer and takes too much to build new and all the regulations,
everything else, you know, tools, equipment, materials have
skyrocketed, labor costs have gone up. Have our costs through
the VA and the adaptive programs for living accommodations and
everything else, have they kept pace with that ramp-up in cost
of construction for a home? Or are veterans having to make
decisions, you know, based upon cost overruns and things of
that sort of.
Mr. Latona. I can take that question, sir. Thank you very
much. Cost of materials and labor have both been kind of
rampant since the pandemic, and it does, as I stated before,
impact the ability to stretch those grant funds. What we tried
to do, utilizing the cost of construction index, which allows
us to keep pace with the cost of construction, I think last
year we were able to raise the amount by 4.6 percent. Year
before that it was, I think, it was over 6 percent. We are
maintaining about a 25 percent comparison between the overall
average cost of housing. However, veterans, unless they are
just adapting an existing home, they will almost always have to
come out of pocket for other costs just because of the cost.
However, we do have other partner programs I mentioned
before. Home Improvement and Structural Alterations grant that
is managed by VHA and we also have the Veteran Readiness and
Employment Independent Living Track has a grant called the Home
Adaptation Grant. We are actually able to leverage all those
collectively to help reduce the amount of money that a veteran
has to use out of their own pocket to make sure they get the
necessary adaptations. Then, of course, we lean on nonprofit
partners as well.
Mr. Barrett. Sure. Thank you. Typically, if a veteran needs
substantial account accommodations, they are not retrofitting
the home that they may already live in. Is that generally true?
They are usually having to build new?
Mr. Latona. Majority of times actually they are adapting a
home. We have several different plan types. What we call the
plan 3 is remodeling a home that a veteran already owns. That
is by far the one we use the most. About 85 to 90 percent of
our projects really are that.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. If a person, a veteran is, you know,
substantially mobility limited and like I understand a
wheelchair ramp for your front steps or something of that sort
is a smaller modification, but other things for someone who may
have much more severe mobility restrictions, that probably tips
the scales toward a new build at that point?
Mr. Latona. It really depends. I mean, we--a new bathroom
will run 40-to $50,000 usually for a fully accessible bathroom.
Those we can usually do, with a proper designer, we can do
within the existing home. Veterans usually choose to buy a new
home if they do not own one already or if they own an older
home, which maybe cannot be modified. At that point, we tell
them the property is not really suitable for the type of
adaptations you need, and then they would try to find another
home.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. All right. I feel like construction
costs have gone up by far more than the 4 or 6 percent that you
are describing. Has that been accounted for? Is there an
automatic adjustment? You mentioned the construction inflation
index.
Mr. Latona. Right.
Mr. Barrett. Just, you know, anecdotally, you cannot go to
Home Depot or Lowe's and find the same building materials for
only 4 percent more than they were, you know, pre-pandemic, for
example.
Mr. Latona. True. We use an industry cost of construction
index. With the authority to increase this, we had a designated
index we would use. The one we use is currently the Turner
cost, which actually reflects increased cost across the
industry. That is the one we have been using.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. All right. Is that accurate, would you
say? Or is there work that needs to be done to make that more,
I guess, more accurate for today's conditions?
Mr. Latona. I think it covers most of the locations, but
there are a lot of locations around the country where it is
more difficult to get equipment and materials that we need to
think about. Pacific Islands is one. Rural properties on
Reservations land, Tribal trust lands, things like that is a
lot harder. That is usually where we come up against projects
that exceed the grant cost.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. I would say even, you know, where I
live, we are not stranded out somewhere. I mean, there are home
improvement stores, you know, in the drivable area, but the
costs of materials have just gone up so much. Then the building
labor costs and then the timeline in which to find a
contractor, it all really adds to the cost of the program.
Thank you, appreciate it.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
The chair now recognizes Mrs. Ramirez for 5 minutes.
Ms. Ramirez. Thank you, Chairman.
Just wanted to follow up with you, Mr. Latona, on the
questions around the adaptive vehicle applications. I think you
said to me that you will go back and try to get me information
on how many applications you get annually. Is that right? Then
I think the only second part to that I had was how long on
average does it take to determine eligibility once they have
submitted the application?
Mr. Latona. Thank you for your question, ma'am. Eligibility
for any compensation whatsoever is performed, that
determination is performed by the VA's Compensation Service. I
think they have an average time. I do not have that data with
me, but I can provide It.
Ms. Ramirez. Yes, that would be helpful because I am trying
to find out specifically, as it pertains to vehicle
applications, what the average amount of time is.
I want to pivot to another question here. We have heard
repeated concerns from veterans and dealerships about delayed
payments. I think it is another question for you, Mr. Latona.
What is causing some of the backlog? Is there enough staff to
process these applications?
Mr. Latona. The payments are done outside of the Specially
Adaptive Housing Program that I am--where I am here for my
subject matter expertise for that program specifically.
However, we can get you an answer on the staffing. I do not
know if that impacts it currently, but I do know there are many
variables when it comes to paying any vendors; communication
between vendors, depending on size, depending on the way they
invoice. There are a lot of differences in the different
timelines specifically. I do know that once an invoice gets to
VBA for payment, we have a time of 15 days to actually deliver
those payments. The transaction usually takes 1 to 2 days. This
is one of the areas that we are looking at within the IPT to
find out where the bottlenecks are.
Ms. Ramirez. I really appreciate that because I have heard
repeatedly concerns with constituents about the delayed
payments and what that means for them.
One last question around that, and then I will get to my
last question. Have there been any staff fired responsible for
this work between the vendors and the processing since January
20th?
Mr. Latona. I am not aware. Again, that program is outside
of my area of expertise.
Ms. Ramirez. Okay. Can we get on the record, Chairman, that
there is a number of questions that I do not have information
on. I would like to be able to follow up and get it.
Mr. Van Orden. Absolutely.
Ms. Ramirez. Thank you, Chairman. The last one I have here
is, how does the VA currently calculate the cost of an adaptive
vehicle? Yes, answer that, and then I guess there is a second
part to that.
Mr. Latona. I am going to actually refer that to Dr.
Scholten.
Ms. Ramirez. Great. Someone else answering. Thank you, Dr.
Scholten. Thank you, Mr. Latona.
Dr. Scholten. My pleasure. Thanks for the question. That
depends on the specific adaptation that is required, which is
going to be uniquely customed for that individual veteran and
their abilities. The veterans are evaluated by driver rehab
specialists to develop a specific prescription for what
modifications need to be placed provided for their vehicle.
Then those line items on the invoice are processed through our
prosthetic partners and then selected to a vendor. Once those
modifications have been made, then Prosthetics looks at the
line item on the prescription to ensure that each piece is
appropriately provided on the vehicle or adapted to the vehicle
before we can--before we sign off on completeness.
Ms. Ramirez. Got it.
Dr. Scholten. The payment schedule for each of those items
is posted on our website. A payment schedule is updated every
fiscal year. That is based on the Consumer Price Index.
Ms. Ramirez. That is based on the Consumer Price Index as
well?
Dr. Scholten. Yes.
Ms. Ramirez. Okay, got it. That was actually my follow-up
question.
Those are all the questions I have now, Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentlelady yields back, and I recognize
myself for 5 minutes.
Okay. You just said that when the VA gets a bill, you have
15 days to pay it, is that right?
Mr. Latona. That is true, sir. Yes.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. Well, on this list that you will have,
we got Kansas City, Missouri, 501 days; El Paso, 246; Dallas,
Texas, 362, these are all days; Dallas, 823 days; Phoenix, 256
days; 530 days for another thing in Phoenix; Waco, 96. I was an
enlisted guy. You know, math is not my forte, but I am just
going to say that I think all of those are greater than the
number 15.
Mr. Latona. I agree, sir.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. Unacceptable, sir. Can you walk me
through the billing process? What happens?
Mr. Latona. I can walk you through most of it. Some of it
might be on the VHA side, but where I will pick it up from is
once the VHA has identified the specific adaptations that were
required, they will coordinate with the vendor to make sure the
vendor understands what is needed and what the cost of those
are. Once that entire package is complete, it goes to the
vendor and then it makes its way to VA to pay it.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. What does that mean, sir, ``makes its
way''?
Mr. Latona. It is emailed. It is emailed from the local
office. The office that is actually performing the analysis,
determining what adaptations are required, emails it directly
to the Support Services Division, which is an office within VA
that handles the payments. It is a few minutes.
Mr. Van Orden. How does a check get cut?
Mr. Latona. The check gets cut. At that point it goes over
to our Support Services Division who pays all vendors for all
services.
Mr. Van Orden. How many people are there?
Mr. Latona. I am not aware, sir. These are not where the
better--these are not where the bottlenecks are. Obviously
bottlenecks are somewhere up or down the stream somewhere, not
in those little transactions. That is----
Mr. Van Orden. Sir, I guarantee you, I guarantee you, if we
had open kimono with your stuff that I could figure this
problem out in an afternoon, like line and block chart,
disabled veteran, vendor payment. That is all we are talking
about. This is bananas.
I am going to say this again. The Veterans Affairs--or I am
going to say it, the Veterans Affairs Administration is not a
jobs program. It is not. Neither is the military. If we have
nine bosses, Bob, you know, that is a problem. We have to look
at the structure of the VA through the lens of getting that
Marine what he needs, not you or you or you.
Are individual projects capped, like a home? Is there a
financial cap?
Mr. Latona. Each grant program has its own maximum grant
amount available. For specially adapted housing, it is $121,000
this year.
Mr. Van Orden. Per home?
Mr. Latona. Yes.
Mr. Van Orden. What about for a vehicle?
Mr. Latona. I would defer to Dr. Scholten on that.
Dr. Scholten. There is no cap on the vehicle modifications.
It is based specifically on the required adaptations in the
prescription from the driver rehab specialist.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. Riffing off Mr. Barrett's comments
about inflation and whatnot, when was that cap of $120,000 per
unit established?
Mr. Latona. October 1st. Each year we have the ability to
raise it based upon the Cost of Construction Index.
Mr. Van Orden. What was it last October?
Mr. Latona. A hundred and 17 thousand.
Mr. Van Orden. You raised it 3,000 bucks.
Mr. Latona. It is based upon an index, an industry index,
right.
Mr. Van Orden. Even though housing costs and construction
costs have increased by like 30 to 40 percent in the last few
years. Okay. We need to really look at that. Like, who said you
are going to use the Consumer Price Index? Is that us or you?
Dr. Scholten. For the vehicle modifications, that is in our
regulations.
Mr. Van Orden. You did that. What about for the homes?
Mr. Latona. For the homes, the statute directs we use a
Cost of Construction Index.
Mr. Van Orden. Right.
Mr. Latona. We selected the one that we are currently using
because it was the most competitive.
Mr. Van Orden. It is not tied to inflation.
Mr. Latona. Right. It is tied to the cost of materials and
labor across the country.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay.
Mr. Latona. By a third party.
Mr. Van Orden. Check. I want to see that on paper. I want
to see that on paper, either yours or ours or whatever. Let us
fix this.
Okay. Well, my time has expired. I would like to yield to
Ranking Member Pappas if he has any closing statements, sir.
Mr. Pappas. No, I am good. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Yes, I mean, for this panel, obviously.
Okay. Well, here is what I am going to tell you. We got to
do better. These things are--and listen, I am looking in the
mirror, too. I should have figured out this TAP thing, you
know, 2 years ago. That is a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
issue. That is clear. Somebody who has been working or a group
of people for collectively 60 years should have been like, hey,
Congresspeople, you know, we cannot get the word out. That is
on me, too. I am not just--I am pointing two fingers, you know,
one at you and one at me.
I want you just to--I want you to hyper focus on these
issues because all of these problems are fixable. If we are
not--the status quo is not acceptable. Our wounded veterans are
trapped in a chair for the rest of their lives. You know what I
mean? They cannot speak, they cannot see, they cannot walk.
They are grotesquely disfigured, you know, by burns and they
cannot move well, and they are having mental health issues. All
of this is about them. I really want you guys to do some soul
searching and figure out how to do this better, establish
metrics. I mean, do you guys any--do you have any quantifiable
metric at all for anything you are doing? You do?
Mr. Latona. Yes, sir, we do.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. I would like to see them.
All right. With that, thank you very much for your time. I
appreciate it. You are excused. We are going to empanel our
second group here.
This committee will stand adjourned for 10 minutes.
[Recess.]
Mr. Van Orden. The committee will come to order.
On our second panel, we will be hearing from our witnesses.
The first witness is Mr. Tom Landwermeyer, president and chief
executive officer at Homes For Our Troops. Our next witness is
Mr. Mike Owens, Adaptive Support Sports director, Wounded
Warrior Project. Our third witness is Mr. Craig Schrimsher,
president of North American Manufacturing, BraunAbility. Our
final witness is Ms. Julie Howell, my very good friend,
associate legislative director for Government Relations,
Paralyzed Veterans of America. I am going to ask you to stand
and raise your right or left hand, sir.
[Witnesses sworn.]
Mr. Van Orden. Let the record reflect that the witnesses
answered in the affirmative. Please be seated.
Mr. Landwermeyer, you are now recognized for 5 minutes to
deliver your testimony.
STATEMENT OF TOM LANDWERMEYER
Mr. Landwermeyer. Thank you, Chairman Van Orden, Ranking
Member Pappas, and distinguished members of the Veterans'
Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. My sincere thanks
for granting Homes For Our Troops, or HFOT as we are known, the
opportunity to testify before the subcommittee to review the VA
Specially Adapted Housing, Adaptive Automobile and Adaptive
Sports Programs to help assess how effectively these programs
serve veterans across the country.
To date, Homes For Our Troops has built and donated 409
specially adapted custom homes in 45 states to the most
severely injured post 9-11 veterans. We currently have 78
ongoing projects with over 100 veterans in the application
process. We use the SAH grant eligibility requirements as a
screening criterion for our program and are quite familiar with
the SAH program, but are less familiar with the Adaptive
Automobile and Sports Programs.
Over the past 20 years, HFOT has developed a close working
relationship with the VA SAH office to better assist our
veterans, enjoying a mutually positive and productive working
relationship. We communicate often with the SAH office as we
support our veterans and consistently find their personnel to
be helpful and responsive. When the COVID pandemic restricted
VA travel, they were open to accepting HFOT staff photos of the
adaptations in our homes that the SAH office required for their
approval process, expediting the SAH process for these
deserving men and women. When Congress was considering the Ryan
Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adapted Housing Improvement Act,
we provided feedback from our veterans to our VA SAH contacts.
Last month, our staff surveyed the veterans in our program
about their familiarity and experience with the VA Specially
Adapted Housing, Adaptive Automobile, and Adaptive Sports
Programs. Testimony today is based on the survey results. While
our veterans have a basic understanding of the SAH grant and
eligibility requirements, roughly half of the veterans who
responded say they have minimal knowledge regarding subsequent
uses of the grant and specifically how often they can use it
and how it actually increases annually.
Half find the application easy to complete, but 20 percent
find it difficult. Many veterans experience inconsistent
procedures and approval standards between agents even in the
same region. Working nationwide, we have found variances in
procedures and interpretations across regions and agents and
have provided that feedback to the SAH office.
About 50 percent of the veterans report being familiar with
the Adaptive Automobile Grant Program. Nearly 60 percent of our
veterans polled struggled with the grant application process,
finding it complex and difficult to understand. There is also
much confusion concerning if and when a veteran can apply for a
second grant and how this relates to the VA program that
provides reimbursement for adaptations to an automobile.
Nearly 80 percent of our veterans have little to no
knowledge of the VA Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program or
its offerings. Of those who actually compete at the national or
Olympic level, 90 percent stated they were unfamiliar with the
Olympic Team and Team USA monthly grant stipend. Veterans also
noted the need for clear eligibility rules and vendor approval
processes, as well as more flexibility for choosing adaptive
gear based on their injuries.
The VA offers many outstanding programs for injured
veterans. A focus on consistency across the regions and among
agents, more streamlined and understandable application
procedures, and creating better awareness about these great
programs will enhance the VA support to veterans nationwide. We
are very grateful for our longtime partnership with the VA and
appreciate all that they and you do for our veterans.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, thank you for
the opportunity to speak to you today and I look forward to
your questions.
[The Prepared Statement Of Tom Landwermeyer Appears In The
Appendix]
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields. The chair now
recognizes Ms. Howell. Oh, I am sorry. The chair now recognizes
Mr. Owens for 5 minutes to deliver your testimony, sir.
STATEMENT OF MIKE OWENS
Mr. Owens. Thank you. Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member
Pappas, and members of subcommittee, again my name is Mike
Owens and I am the director of Adaptive Sports at Wounded
Warrior Project and a Marine Corps veteran.
In 2005, October, while my second deployment to Iraq, I was
manning the 50-cal on top of a 7-ton when it rolled over. I
obviously lost my right arm above the elbow and I also
shattered both of my legs. As an amputee who is dependent on
prosthetics and adaptive equipment for sport and recreation, I
bring almost 20 years of personal and professional experience
on the issue.
Wounded Warrior Project was founded to serve and empower
our Nation's heroes and we offer direct programs and services,
including adaptive sports opportunities, to over 231,000
registered warriors across the country. Interactions with
warriors through our programs inform our advocacy before
Congress here today.
An amazing example of this is our Soldier Ride program.
Soldier Ride is a multiday riding event where warriors never
ride alone. They move forward together as a unit just as they
did during their military service. We believe anyone can ride
and we offer the use of hand cycles, recumbent trikes, road
bikes, and hybrid bicycles. Soldier Ride empowers warriors to
find solace, healing, and strength through movement. After
participating in a Soldier Ride event, more than 90 percent of
warriors report being more confident in themselves and better
connected to other veterans.
While a more complete list of our recommendations is
provided in our written testimony, I would like to focus in on
a few key areas where we believe that Congress and the VA can
take action to expand access, promote participation, and better
serve our veterans.
First, we believe that Congress should increase the funding
provided to the Adaptive Sports Grant Program. This grant
program is vital to nonprofit organizations who provide
adaptive support opportunities to serve veterans in their
communities. More specifically, we feel that the amount
appropriated for the program should be increased to offset the
recent changes in mandatory spending related to equine-assisted
therapy. The $16.5 million amount has not been increased since
Fiscal Year 2016, and new requirements that approximately 30
percent of that funding be dedicated to equine-assisted therapy
will reduce grant funds available for organizations that
provide all other adaptive sports programming.
We also feel that the administrative cost allowance
associated with these grants should be on par with other
Federal grants in order to allow grantees to accommodate more
veterans and provide more comprehensive adaptive sports
programming. This change would prevent nonprofit organizations
from being forced to use limited donor dollars to cover these
costs.
Second, Wounded Water Project believes strongly that the VA
should be able to connect veterans with Adaptive Sports
Programs regardless of where they live or the nature of their
disability and be capable of accommodating all veterans who
wish to attend national VA Adaptive Sports events. In order to
meet this challenge, we recommend that VA ensure recreational
therapists capable of accommodating veterans with all types of
mobility challenges be accessible to all veterans and that VA
formalize the currently ad hoc position of Adaptive Sports
coordinator in order to ensure all veterans, regardless of
where they live, can be connected to Adaptive Sports Programs
as well as the six VA national events.
Finally, we encourage Congress and VA to ensure that
veterans who want to participate in adaptive sports have access
to both the opportunities and the equipment needed to achieve
their goals. Regardless of whether a warrior qualifies as a
member of Team USA's Paralympic team or if they wish simply to
be able to play basketball with their family in the driveway,
VA should have the authority and ability to provide them the
equipment that they need. Those warrior athletes who do seek
higher levels of competition should be provided with both
specialized equipment and the funding support to ensure they
can reach their goals.
Additionally, we fully support legislative efforts to allow
participation in the DOD Warrior Games more than the 1 year
after separation, a change that will not only benefit the
Warrior Games, but will also provide warriors with a new chance
to compete.
In closing, adaptive sports and physical activity help
veterans transition from surviving to thriving. Participation
makes them physically stronger, more mentally resilient, and
more connected to their peers and communities. Research has
repeatedly shown consistent physical activity decreases stress,
anxiety, depression, chronic pain, reduces reliance on
prescription medication. Furthermore, positive improvements are
seen in mobility, sleep quality, and psychological well-being.
Adaptive Sports and Recreation for our Nation's wounded
warriors, it is not simply a nice addition. They are a critical
element to enhance both the length and quality of their lives.
Wounded Warrior Project stands ready to assist on these issues
and any others that may arise.
Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
[The Prepared Statement Of Mike Owens Appears In The
Appendix]
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields. The written testimony
of Mr. Landwermeyer and Mr. Owens will be entered into the
record.
Mr. Schrimsher, you are now recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF CRAIG SCHRIMSHER
Mr. Schrimsher. Thank you, Chairman Van Orden and Ranking
Member Pappas, members of the committee, and my fellow
panelists and the Veterans Administration for their commitment
to work on these important issues. My name is Craig Schrimsher
and I lead North American Manufacturing for BraunAbility, a
global leader in wheelchair-accessible vehicles and mobility
solutions. I oversee domestic production to ensure high
quality, safe, and accessible products for our customers who
are Americans with physical disabilities and their caregivers.
At BraunAbility, we take veterans' mobility issues
personally as they represent approximately 17 percent of our
customers. We believe veterans have sacrificed greatly and they
have earned these benefits. I am here to talk about three key
issues. First being changes to the accessible vehicle trade in
policy, which for decades allowed disabled veterans to trade in
their vehicle every 2 years. Suddenly and without notice, the
VA recently changed the policy to once every 4 years without
any announcement. This has the risk of forcing veterans to pay
significant out-of-pocket costs for mobility.
Second issue, which we have talked about in detail today,
are delayed VA payments to mobility dealers. According to the
National Mobility Dealers Association, in a study of 89
dealerships, we found $11 million in past due payments with the
average delay being 186 days. Really encouraging to hear about
the commitment to work that through IPT in 15 days. Sounds
great to us.
Third issue is around an outdated VA price schedule, so we
appreciate the transparency. The VA for the first time
published a price schedule listing the amounts that they will
reimburse for conversions, equipment, and repair, which is
great. However, it was based on 2021 data and was not published
until 2024. We missed approximately 3 years of very real
inflation in the automotive market, which we would anticipate
just based on average new car prices moved somewhere from 17 to
19 percent in that period. We urge the VA to accelerate updates
to this. This is a significant impact to our larger dealer
network.
I would say an even larger problem that we would like to
highlight beyond policy changes and payment delays is really a
clear lack of empathy and indifference to our veteran customers
and dealers and their experience in working with the VA.
Bureaucratic hurdles are expected, but the dismissive attitude
toward those who have sacrificed so much is simply
unacceptable. Veterans and their families should not have to
fight for fair treatment and transparency from the institution
meant to serve them.
I want to share a story of a gentleman I connected with
recently. His name's John Masson. He is a Hoosier. He is from
Lake Station, Indiana, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1989.
Following a family tradition of service, he served 1st Armored
Division, 82d Airborne Division, Indiana Army National Guard,
earning the Ranger tab, Green Beret, and Special Forces tab.
John was deployed multiple times, including for Operations
Iraqi Freedom, Operations Enduring Freedom, and in 2010,
severely injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in
Kandahar Province.
He lost both of his legs, his dominant left hand, and
thankfully survived, thanks to the immediate intervention from
fellow soldiers. He underwent, like many, extensive
rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Retired in
2012. Now advocates for accessibility with organizations like
the Gary Sinise Foundation.
This story we hear about frequently throughout our network.
When I spoke with John, he was not aware of the changes to the
trade in policy. It came as a complete surprise to him. I will
provide a quote from John, his reaction when finding out,
``There's nothing like making a combat veteran feel their limbs
and sacrifices were given in vain like stripping away their
hard-earned benefits and making life more complicated and
expensive. I thought leaving the VA in tears was behind me.''
This lack of communication and transparency is a failure in
how we support those who have sacrificed so much. Moving
forward, we are encouraged to see reasonable reform, like House
Bill 1364. We are here to find solutions. We believe veterans
deserve more than bureaucracy and policy shifts. They deserve
respect, empathy, and support. We are open to constructive
discussions to find solutions that benefit our veterans.
I look forward to answering any questions and working with
the VA on meaningful change. I have submitted more detailed
testimony. Thank you.
[The Prepared Statement Of Craig Schrimsher Appears In The
Appendix]
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Schrimsher. The written
testimony or statement of Mr. Schrimsher will be entered into
the record.
Ms. Howell, you are now recognized for 5 minutes to deliver
your testimony.
STATEMENT OF JULIE HOWELL
Ms. Howell. Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and
members of the subcommittee, Paralyzed Veterans of America is
grateful for the opportunity to testify today about the
critical role that VA's adaptive programs play in the lives of
PVA members.
For almost 80 years, PVA has been a voice for veterans who
have experienced catastrophic injury or illness. We regularly
engage with many of the VA programs being discussed today.
These programs help deliver veterans with catastrophic
disability--excuse me. These programs help veterans with
catastrophic disabilities modify their homes, receive adapted
vehicles, and find camaraderie through adaptive sports, which
supports them on their journey to find a renewed sense of
purpose and hope.
Jason, a Marine Corps veteran and PVA member, recently
affirmed the role adaptive fitness plays when he said, being
able to push barriers, that helps people know that there is
more to life. Adaptive fitness can help save a life. It gives
you a great sense of purpose.
Now, I would like to discuss some of the specific VA
programs that help PVA members and other disabled veterans
regain their independence. First, VA's home modification
programs are crucial for veterans with catastrophic
disabilities. They provide essential support to help them adapt
their homes to better accommodate their needs. While we
appreciate the significant improvements Congress has made in
recent years to the Specially Adapted Housing Grant, we are
concerned with recent changes to the program's administration
and that it will make it more difficult to navigate as VA is
less able to provide veterans with direct support throughout
the modification process.
Another essential program is VA's Home Improvements and
Structural Alterations, or HISA grant. Unfortunately, HISA
rates have not increased since 2010 despite the cost of
construction increasing around 50 percent in the same
timeframe. H.R. 2245, the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act,
and H.R. 3309, the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act, both
seek to increase the amount available to veterans through the
HISA grant, while also tying the grant to an inflationary
index. PVA strongly supports improving this benefit so that it
more closely aligns with the needs of eligible veterans.
Second, the Automobile Adaptive Equipment, or AAE, Program
exists to increase access to safe and reliable transportation
for service-connected, catastrophically disabled veterans.
Recent regulatory and policy changes made by VA have created
barriers for some PVA members. As an example, current law
states that adaptive equipment includes but is not limited to
power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and other
features. However, in 2024, VA issued a final rule which
basically ignores the statutory requirements enlist these items
at a reimbursement rate of $0. The Department has effectively
made it impossible for veterans to be reimbursed for these
necessary features, creating significant roadblocks and
increasing the financial burden faced by disabled veterans.
VA lacks the authority to implement a final rule that is
counter to the statutory requirement for the delivery of this
benefit, and veterans often appeal these decisions, which are
consistently reversed by the Board of Veteran Appeals. It is a
waste of taxpayer dollars to deny veterans their earned
benefits, which then requires them to file an appeal.
Finally, many of our members find camaraderie and community
thanks to adaptive sports. For example, the VA's Adaptive Sport
Grant helps allow PVA to host more than 60 free year-round
Adaptive Sport and Recreation events across the country, which
provide an opportunity for PVA members to explore adaptive
sports and find new path passions. For many veterans, their
introduction to adaptive sports is a direct result of VA--
excuse me, of VA rehabilitation programs facilitated by
recreational therapists. VA rec therapists provide direct care
to veterans and help them bridge the gap between clinical
rehabilitation and community reintegration, which le which
leads to decreased suicidal ideation and improved clinical
outcomes. VA must prioritize and protect recreational
therapists as they have done with other direct care provide
providers.
Funding for adaptive sports as well as ensuring access to
recreational therapists are essential in upholding the promise
made to our Nation's veterans that we will care for them after
their service and their sacrifice. More than 50 years ago, a
PVA president testified before the Senate Veteran Affairs
Committee on the importance of adaptive sports and rec
therapists. He said, for the average person this is of no
consequence, but to a man who has recently suffered an injury
is to make him question the value of life, the result can be
more crippling than their paralysis.
It is a proven fact that the greatest number of failures in
rehabilitating a person occur in the evening hours and on
weekends when they are away from work. It seems senseless to
throw away the efforts, money and most important, that
individual's life because of the failure to teach that person
how to cope with their leisure time. This statement remains as
true today as it was then. Catastrophically disabled veterans
deserve no less.
Thank you for allowing PVA to testify at today's hearing
and I welcome any questions you may have.
[The Prepared Statement Of Julie Howell Appears In The
Appendix]
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Ms. Howell. Ms. Howell's written
statement will be entered into the record.
We are going to proceed to questioning now. I recognize
Ranking Member Pappas for 5 minutes.
Mr. Pappas. Thanks very much. I appreciate all of your
testimony and the way that you and your organizations stand up
for veterans each and every day. I am really grateful for the
work that you do and I think you gave us a good roadmap of how
we can help make sure that our veterans and their service are
honored and that we are improving the kind of coordination that
sometimes sees a breakdown over at VA in terms of
communication, transparency and some of the other ideas that
you all put on the table.
Ms. Howell, if I can start with you. I appreciate you
highlighting sports at the end of your testimony. I have got an
organization in my State, Northeast Passage, that does a great
job offering veterans and servicemembers access to sports and
recreation. You talked a little bit about barriers. I am
wondering if you can highlight those as they pertain to sports.
What are some ways that we can encourage and identify this as
an opportunity for more veterans to pursue?
Ms. Howell. Thank you for that question, sir. I think as
has been highlighted by several people today, a big barrier is
understanding and even knowing about a program. Most of PVA's
events are in partnership with chapters, so they are within or
near hubs where we have a high member population. Many of our
members were introduced to adaptive sports through their rec
therapist, which is a direct provider in their delivery of care
team through a spinal cord injury center.
I think as many efforts are made from the top down, there
is going to be breakdowns in that communication flow. I think
VA can do better to engage with all of the grant recipients for
the sport grant program. I think earlier today it was mentioned
that there is 15,000 organizations that are dedicated to this
type of work. It is just going to require greater community,
greater engagement, reaching across maybe more local lines and
just creating that network so that that awareness and that
information can be shared.
Mr. Pappas. Maybe I can open that up to the panel. Whether
it is sports or other adaptive programs through VA, I am
wondering if you could give me some observations in terms of
how VA is doing with outreach and communication, giving
veterans the information and knowledge that they need about the
opportunities that are available to them. Mr. Owens.
Mr. Owens. Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. First of
all, I will add down in San Antonio area, you know, we are
definitely blessed. The VA has done an amazing job. As they
say, if you have been to one VA, you have been to one VA. We
have great benefits there in Military City, USA, for example,
access to local parks. We have over 100 miles of concrete path
that is being built just for people to have access and be--have
recreation outside.
There, the benefits that we see are not always the case,
especially for those individuals that End of Active Service
(EAS) and get out of the service and go back home to the middle
of nowhere. Maybe they are 3, 4 hours away from the closest VA
and that means they have almost no resources available in their
local area. We have seen that many times.
Additionally, in the program that I mentioned within
Soldier Ride, we have seen on multiple occasions almost every
event, at least one veteran that attends that would benefit
from the adaptive equipment and it could definitely be used to
improve their mobility, their pain, reduce pain, all of that,
but they do not meet the eligibility requirements to receive
that equipment through the VA.
Mr. Pappas. Thank you. Anyone else? Mr. Schrimsher.
Mr. Schrimsher. Thank you. I would just highlight that we
have a decades-long precedent for a trade-in policy that is
written pretty plainly in policy that changed suddenly. You
know, when I think of communication, and we are hearing this
frequently, we have Vietnam veterans that have been in the
trade cycle every 2 years for decades, finding out from their
dealerships that they no longer qualify. I want to underline,
there are a lot of great people in the VA that mean well and
are doing great things. Right? This is an example of some
recent changes that are really, really impacting and surprising
veterans, and we just do not think that should be the case.
Mr. Pappas. Thank you. Mr. Landwermeyer.
Mr. Landwermeyer. Thank you, sir. Sir, about 70 percent of
the veterans that come to us annually already have their SAH
grant eligibility figured out. They have already applied, been
approved. About 30 percent have either been denied or do not
know how to do it, and we will help them. Again, quite a few
already know about it when they come to us.
Mr. Pappas. Thank you. Ms. Howell, maybe in the time I have
left, you mentioned need to protect recreational therapists.
Could you expound on that a little bit?
Ms. Howell. Yes, sir. Thank you. As far as we are aware,
recreational therapists are not on the exempt list for
retaining VA staff. We believe that as a direct care provider
and as a critical component of a care team for a
catastrophically disabled veteran that they should be added to
that exempt list.
Mr. Pappas. Thank you. I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
The chair now recognizes Mr. Barrett for 5 minutes.
Mr. Barrett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it and
appreciate each of you and the work that you are doing to move
forward with our veterans in a really meaningful way. Thank you
all for being here.
Ms. Howell, special appreciation for you. I know you were
very helpful in the ASSIST Act, and we were able to get that
through the House earlier this week. Genuinely appreciate your
work in crafting that bill and adding improvements to it along
the way. Thank you for that.
Mr. Schrimsher, had a question for you. I know you have
brought the issue before the committee about payment and prompt
payment from the VA and what that has looked like and how that
has affected local dealers and others that are, you know,
rendering these vehicles for veterans and how that can affect
them. I looked at the list that you provided of past due
payments, and, you know, many of--frankly, all of them are
concerning and some of them are deeply concerning with the
amount of time, more than a year in some instances, more than 2
years in other instances.
Can you help me understand what is the industry standards?
Outside of the VA, I am sure your company provides vehicles for
others in a lack of mobility condition as well, what is the
current, you know, kind of industry standard for payment?
Mr. Schrimsher. Thank you, Congressman Barrett, for the
question. The industry standard for payment, typically in
private pay is upon delivery.
Mr. Barrett. Okay.
Mr. Schrimsher. That is through banking, you know, finance
typically, or, you know, a check in some cases. Yes.
Mr. Barrett. Mm-hmm. Let us say a person's insurance,
whether that is medical or automobile insurance, you know, they
were catastrophically injured in an automotive accident maybe,
and their insurance covered that as a benefit. How long would
that typically take if the person purchasing was not the
ultimate payer?
Mr. Schrimsher. I do not have a data point on that handy. I
could follow up on that, would be glad to. I know that that
does vary significantly across geographies.
Mr. Barrett. Okay. Then payments for adaptive vehicles are,
I guess, done at the local VA level, not a--there is not like a
centralized clearinghouse for this. It appears that some
process quicker. I do not know if they are on the list because
they have had more adaptive vehicles approved and that is why
they are on the list or if just some local VAs are quicker than
others. What is kind of your experience with that?
Mr. Schrimsher. We would like to understand that as well.
You know, what we know is that there is consistent variability
within our dealer network. It is typically known which VAs are
habitual offenders on late payment.
Mr. Barrett. Yes.
Mr. Schrimsher. Right? Yes, lack of consistency across the
network is a major concern.
Mr. Barrett. What percent of your business, if you are
willing to share with us, is VA-related, would you say?
Mr. Schrimsher. BraunAbility, approximately 17 percent.
However, I would say within our dealer network it can range
from 20 to 40 percent, you know, depending on the geography. So
significant.
Mr. Barrett. So substantial. Then do you believe it would
be better or more useful if we did have a centralized, you
know, processing for rendering payment for these vehicles?
Mr. Schrimsher. I know that we cut cars in half and put
them back together in 3 days. You know, anything that would
drive an improvement from this 189-day average would be
welcomed. Consistency across the network would be appreciated.
Mr. Barrett. Sure, yes. If you can make the car in a few
days, we should not take, you know, 100 times that amount to
get the payment through to you. Okay, I do appreciate that. As
I know you can tell from the committee testimony today, this is
something we want to really genuinely work on, so.
Mr. Schrimsher. Thank you
Mr. Barrett. Again, appreciate each of you for being here
and the work that you are doing.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back. I recognize
myself for 5 minutes.
I tell you what, I have been getting progressively angrier
as these hearings are going on because this is just completely
unacceptable. There is no other way to describe this. It is
unacceptable. You are never getting your arm back, Marine. For
a bureaucrat to, you know, blow that off is not okay.
My veterans are not beggars and they will not be treated as
such. Hey, Dutch, that is--Schrimsher, that is my personal cell
phone number. You give it to that Green Beret, tell him to call
me. If he ever has another issue with the VA, I swear to God, I
will go down there and strangle somebody.
Mr. Schrimsher. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. You are welcome.
Good. On that note, Mr. Owens, when is this next Soldiers
Ride, and where is it?
Mr. Owens. Actually, we have them all over the Nation. The
next one would--I think they just had DC and the next one that
they will be having is Chicago.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. Well, I know the vice chairman of the
congressional Motorcycle Caucus. His name is Van Orden. I do
not know why I have not got an invite yet, buddy, but that
better happen. Is that clear?
Mr. Owens. Yes, sir.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. I got a bike here. I do not have a car
in DC, man. I will go real heavy with you cats. That is really
important.
You have been involved in the VA system for quite a while,
since 2005. Got blown up outside of Balad, you know, rolled
over and stuff. Have you seen an increase--I would like to have
some positive things here. Have you seen an increase in the
VA's delivery of services, availability of services?
Mr. Owens. Yes, 100 percent. They have done an amazing job
over the years to improve the care, access to care, and the
opportunities or options available. I will say, I am in
Military City, USA. There is a lot of resources in that area,
so----
Mr. Van Orden. Right.
Mr. Owens [continuing]. it is definitely not the same
across the board.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. Ms. Howell, you said recent changes to
policy or recent policy changes, 2024, in reference to the
ability to deliver care through the VA, is that correct?
Ms. Howell. Sir, the policy change that I mentioned was an
internal policy decision made by VA when it comes to what the
reimbursement rate is when it comes to certain features of a
vehicle.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. The Board of Veterans Appeals, where
do they reside?
Ms. Howell. Down the street.
Mr. Van Orden. What is that?
Ms. Howell. Down the street.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. I would like to maybe pay him a visit
and see what their rate of refusing claims is.
Ms. Howell. Sir, if I may.
Mr. Van Orden. Yes.
Ms. Howell. No. The VA denies the reimbursement rate, at
which point the veteran files the appeal to the Board. The
Board overturns that denial.
Mr. Van Orden. They are a force for good or a force for
bad?
Ms. Howell. When it comes to the reimbursement schedule
rating, they are a force for good.
Mr. Van Orden. Well, then I would like to go see him and
bring them a cup of coffee then. That would be wonderful, too.
Good news story. Thank you for that.
Mr. Landwermeyer, you said that you provide feedback to the
SAH office. How responsive have they been to you?
Mr. Landwermeyer. Thank you, sir. Actually, pretty
responsive, sir. As I mentioned, COVID, they were not able to
travel. The agents were not able to travel, go out and inspect
our homes.
Mr. Van Orden. Yes.
Mr. Landwermeyer. We offered to take photos and ship those
back in, and they took those. Then we also were able to call
them up at any time. We have, usually probably twice a year,
Zoom calls with the leadership of the SAH branch. We can give
them the pluses and minuses, good, bad, and ugly that we have
been running up against as we go through the process. Some
regions do really well, others are not quite as fast. Then
sometimes within regions, you have fast ones and slow ones. We
do provide them all that feedback.
Mr. Van Orden. Okay. That is another good news story.
Mr. Schrimsher, so for a domestic powered side-entry in-
floor vehicles, $39,498, it should be $46,212. Structurally
modified pickup truck, $38,601. It should be $45,163.
Wheelchair back-lift, 6,819 bucks, would be $7,980.
Hey, so check it out. What you guys witnessed without
knowing it was bipartisanship taking place because me and Chris
just hatched a plan to fix this. We are going to write some
legislation to catch you guys up. That will be--we will
introduce it together. It will be a bipartisan effort because
this, again, is wholly unacceptable.
Last thing, my time has expired, so I am going to recognize
the ranking member for any closing statements he may have.
Mr. Pappas. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this
session. I want to thank our panel for their contributions to
this conversation. Clearly, we have got a lot of work to do on
the legislative front to make sure that we are improving
eligibility, that we are increasing funding, that we are
ultimately optimizing the delivery of programs that serve our
veteran communities. Really grateful for the feedback that you
have presented us with today. I think we have got some good,
clear action items that are going to come out of this hearing.
I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
I just want to say a couple things before we are out of
here. Look, I get letters from the VA all the time. I am 100
percent service-connected disabled vet. You can sign up for
emails, they call you. Right? Why in the hell do our disabled
veterans not know about these programs? We know where they all
are, sir and ma'am. Sitting in the third row back there, we
know where they are. We know their names, we know their
addresses. We know their email addresses. We know their phone
numbers. For a single disabled veteran to not know that these
programs exist or that you can get reimbursed, you can do
trade-in, and stuff like that is just stupid.
It is 2025. We know where all of these people are. We
literally can assign a geographic point to their house. I am
making the strongest recommendation possible to fix this
problem. Fix it. Email them, write them, and call them. You
know what their disability rating is. You know where they live.
No more we are going to talk about this. We are excited
about that. We are having a planning session on this. We are
going to write their moms and--call them. Stop it. I guarantee
you the Secretary is either unaware of this or he does not
understand how large this problem is. We operate on scale. The
scale for a veteran not knowing about this is one, it is not
two, it is not five, it is one. If one of my veterans who got
blown up overseas or, God forbid, something else happened to
him does not know about this, it is your fault. It is. Fix it.
I want to thank you all for coming. I do, all of you. I
want to thank you, Mr. Owens, for your continued sacrifice to
our country. I want to thank--are you married?
Mr. Owens. Yes, sir.
Mr. Van Orden. How is she doing?
Mr. Owens. Oh, she is doing great.
Mr. Van Orden. All right.
Mr. Owens. Been with me through everything.
Mr. Van Orden. All right, that is cool. That is wonderful
to hear. Well, we are going to keep working together. You just
figured out. I mean, we literally just hatched a plan to help
fix this. That is what we are going to do. We will continue to
consult with the Veterans Affairs Administration. I am glad we
got some really good, good news stories out of the VA because I
love the VA. I mean, I love the VA. It is very simple.
With that, I would like to ask unanimous consent that all
members only have 5 days, legislative days, to revise and
extend the remarks and include any extraneous materials.
Without objection, so ordered.
This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:23 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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A P P E N D I X
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Prepared Statements of Witnesses
----------
Prepared Statement of Rachel McArdle
Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and other members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today
to discuss how VA fulfills the Nation's promise to care for Veterans
through the administration of adaptive programs. To maximize Veteran
independence when performing daily tasks or participating in
therapeutic activities, VA provides Specially Adapted Housing (SAH)
assistance, Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA)
benefits, Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE), and the Adaptive Sports
Grant Program (ASGP). Joining me today is Dr. Joel Scholten, Executive
Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, and Jason
Latona, Assistant Director, Loan Guaranty Service, Veterans Benefits
Administration.
SAH Grant Program
The SAH grant program administers several types of grants for
eligible Veterans and Service members under 38 U.S.C. Ch. 21. The
program assists eligible individuals in acquiring adapted housing made
necessary by their service-connected disability. VA also provides SAH
assistance if an adapted home has been destroyed or significantly
damaged by a natural disaster.
VA's approach to the SAH grant program is individualized. Congress
set the maximum aggregate amount of assistance for each grant type and
directed VA to adjust these amounts annually in accordance with
increases in the residential home cost-of-construction index. An
assigned VA SAH agent guides the eligible individual and their family
through the home adaptation process to meet the individual's unique
needs. The individual ultimately contracts with the builders of their
choice, and SAH grant program staff use their expertise in home
adaptations to ensure the-project is completed and is consistent with
applicable statutes and the individual's adaptive housing needs.
The SAH grant program has approved more than 2,000 grant awards
annually for 6 of the last 7 fiscal years (FY). VA anticipates similar
or higher usage levels in the future. As of the end of March, 1,643 SAH
grants have been approved $ 85 million in Fiscal Year 2025.
Improving Benefits Delivery through Modernization
To continue delivering world-class customer service to Veterans and
Service members, VA has initiated a multi-year project to modernize the
SAH case management system. The modernized system will use automation
to streamline the delivery of benefits to eligible individuals. The
upgraded tool will also improve VA oversight by allowing for enhanced
monitoring of the grant process from initial application to compliance
inspection upon completion of work. The implementation of the
modernized SAHSHA system will be conducted in phases; the first phase
is expected to begin in July 2025.
Eliminating Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
The individualized attention given to each SAH grantee ensures
there is a high degree of oversight on each award. In Fiscal Year 2020,
VA implemented a new financial process to manage SAH grant program
disbursements using centralized VA financial staff, rather than third-
party escrow agents. This change strengthened VA's internal controls
and improved overall project management capabilities for SAH grant
program staff. These oversight measures resulted in improved home
adaptation delivery and payment timelines, reducing overall project
timelines by days or weeks, and eased Veteran financial burdens by
eliminating a third-party escrow fee of approximately $500 per project.
Home Improvements and Structural Alterations
The VA HISA benefit, under 38 U.S.C. Sec. 1717, provides financial
assistance to disabled Veterans eligible for medical services under 38
U.S.C. Sec. 1710(a) who require modifications to their primary
residence. Service members undergoing medical discharge from the Armed
Forces for a permanent disability that was incurred or aggravated in
the line of duty in the active military, naval, air, or space service
are also eligible for the HISA benefit. HISA projects are prescribed by
a VHA clinician and medically justified based on the Veteran or Service
member's clinical needs that support the type of home improvement or
structural alterations being prescribed. These medically necessary
improvements or structural alterations allow for continued home health
treatment of the Veteran or Service member's disability and maximize
the Veteran's or Service member's access to the home and independence
while performing daily tasks within their homes. HISA benefits and
lifetime payments are approved and processed in accordance with 38
C.F.R. Sec. Sec. 17.3100 through 17.3130.
Automobile Adaptive Equipment Benefit
The VA AAE program, under the authority of 38 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.
3901-3903 and 38 C.F.R. Sec. Sec. 17.155-17.159, reimburses or pays
for adaptive equipment for eligible Veterans and active-duty members of
the Armed Forces who have certain disabilities. AAE is prescribed by a
VHA physician or Certified Drivers Rehabilitation Specialist. VA is
authorized to prescribe and reimburse or pay for operational and non-
operational equipment, but VA does not modify, install, repair, or
replace the AAE. VA works directly with AAE dealers, modifiers, and
alterers to ensure all prescribed, necessary adaptive equipment enable
the Veteran to safely drive or ride as a passenger in their personal
vehicles. Examples of AAE include low-effort or sensitized steering;
electronic accelerator and brakes; mechanical hand controls for
accelerator and brakes; wheelchair tie downs; vehicle lifts; tilt
steering wheels; voice command systems; raised roofs and doors; and
tinted windows for burn injury disabilities. In Fiscal Year 2025
through March 31, 2025, VA has provided AAE to 1,181 Veterans. The
total value of that benefit is $31,928,405, and the average award is
$27,035.
ASGP
VA also manages the ASGP, which provides Veterans and members of
the Armed Forces with disabilities access to sports and equine therapy
to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle. As provided by 38 C.F.R.
Part 77, VA awards grants to non-Federal Government entities with
significant experience in managing a large-scale adaptive sport
program. In Fiscal Year 2024, VA's ASGP awarded 91 individual grants,
totaling $15.9 million in awarded funds. Organizations funded through
VA's ASGP currently provide resources for more than 15,000 Veterans and
members of the Armed Forces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, VA will continue to provide the Nation's Veterans
with efficient, effective, and meaningful programs centered on meeting
their adaptive needs. Thank you for your continued support of our
programs and for this opportunity to speak today. This concludes my
testimony, and we welcome any questions that you or other Members of
the Subcommittee may have.
Prepared Statement of Tom Landwermeyer
Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and distinguished
members of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity,
my sincere thanks for granting Homes For Our Troops, or HFOT, the
opportunity to testify before the subcommittee to review the VA's
Specially Adapted Housing, Adaptive Automobile, and Adaptive Sports
Programs, to help assess how effectively these programs serve Veterans
across the country.
To date, Homes For Our Troops has built and donated 409 specially
adapted custom homes in 45 states to the most severely injured post-9/
11 Veterans. We currently have 78 ongoing projects, with over 100
Veterans in the application process. We use the SAH grant eligibility
requirements as a screening criterion for our program, and are quite
familiar with the VA's SAH grant program, but are less familiar with
the adaptive automobile and sports programs.
Over the past 20 years, HFOT has developed a close working
relationship with the VA SAH office to better assist our Veterans,
enjoying a mutually positive and productive working relationship. We
communicate often with the SAH office as we support our Veterans and
consistently find their personnel to be helpful and responsive. When
the COVID pandemic restricted VA travel, they were open to accepting
HFOT staff photos of the adaptations in our homes that the SAH office
required for their approval process, expediting the SAH process for
these deserving men and women. When Congress was considering the Ryan
Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act, we
provided feedback from our Veterans to our VA SAH points of contact.
Last month, our staff surveyed the veterans in our program about
their familiarity and experience with the VA's Specially Adapted
Housing, Adaptive Automobile, and Adaptive Sports Programs. Our
testimony today is based on these survey results.
While our Veterans have a basic understanding of the SAH grant and
eligibility requirements, roughly half of the Veterans who responded
say they have minimal knowledge regarding subsequent uses, and
specifically how often they can use it and how it increases annually.
Half find the application easy to complete, with 20 percent finding it
difficult. Many Veterans experienced inconsistent procedures and
approval standards between agents, even in the same Region. Working
nationwide, HFOT has found variances in procedures and interpretations
across regions and agents, and has provided that feedback to the SAH
office.
About 50 percent of the Veterans report being familiar with the
Adaptive Automobile grant program. Nearly 60 percent of Veterans polled
struggled with the vehicle-grant application process, finding it
complex and difficult to understand. There is also much confusion
concerning if and when a Veteran can apply for a second grant, and how
this relates to the VA program that provides reimbursement for
adaptations to an automobile.
Nearly 80 percent of our veterans have little to no knowledge of
the VA Adaptive Sports and Recreation program or its offerings. Of
those who actually compete at the national or Olympic level, 90 percent
stated they were unfamiliar with the Olympic Team and Team USA monthly
grant stipend. Veterans also noted the need for clearer eligibility
rules and vendor approval processes, as well as more flexibility for
choosing adaptive gear based on their injuries.
The VA offers many outstanding programs for injured veterans. A
focus on consistency across the regions and among agents, more
streamlined and understandable application procedures, and creating
better awareness about these great programs will enhance the VA's
support to veterans nationwide.
We are grateful for our long-time partnership with the VA, and
appreciate all that they and you do for our veterans. Mr. Chairman and
members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you
today, and I look forward to your questions.
Prepared Statement of Mike Owens
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Prepared Statement of Craig Schrimsher
Introduction
On behalf of BraunAbility, I would like to thank Chair Van Orden,
Ranking Member Pappas, and all the members of the House of
Representatives Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Craig Schrimsher, and
I lead North American Manufacturing at BraunAbility, the global leader
in wheelchair-accessible vehicles and mobility solutions, overseeing
domestic production to ensure top-tier product quality, safety, and
accessibility for our customers, Americans with physical disabilities
and those who care for them.
Supporting VA's Mission to Serve Veterans
BraunAbility seeks to support the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs' (``VA'') mission to care for those who have served in
our Nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and
survivors. BraunAbility and our network of mobility dealers bring
independence and mobility freedom to people with physical disabilities
and their caregivers. The Adaptive Automobile Equipment (``AAE'')
program, which BraunAbility actively supports, provides disabled
veterans and their caregivers with the adaptive equipment necessary for
a veteran to access and operate a vehicle, or to have someone operate
the vehicle for them.
Larry Dodson, a Vietnam War veteran, sustained a spinal cord injury
in 1974 that drastically changed his life. When he finally purchased
his first accessible van, he said, ``Getting that freedom of
transportation was invaluable.'' It restored a sense of independence
and dignity during a period in his life marked by despair and
hopelessness. He went on to own six more BraunAbility vans. He later
dedicated his career to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (``PVA''),
advocating for fellow veterans, helping them reclaim their mobility,
and ensuring they receive the care and benefits they deserve. Of his
career with the PVA he said, ``As long as I can, I will help.''
A core part of BraunAbility's mission is to help VA do the same for
our Nation's veterans. In Mr. Dodson's case and others, our products
and services keep veterans connected to their families, their careers,
and their communities. However, recent policy changes and ongoing
challenges within VA threaten disabled veterans' independence and sense
of purpose by imposing undue financial and personal hardship. This
document outlines the challenges presented by certain VA policies and
calls for necessary reforms, including the restoration of fair trade-in
policies, timely reimbursements, and updated adaptive equipment
pricing. By surfacing these issues, BraunAbility seeks to protect
veterans' mobility rights and advocate for sustainable solutions that
uphold their dignity and autonomy. Before discussing the AAE program in
greater depth, I would like to provide some background on BraunAbility.
Ralph Braun: A Legacy of Innovation and Independence
BraunAbility was built on a commitment to reliable, accessible
transportation for people with mobility challenges. That mission
started with our founder, Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with muscular
dystrophy as a child. Determined to navigate a world not built for him,
with his father's help, he created the first battery-powered
wheelchair--an innovation that launched a lifetime of mobility
solutions. Eventually, he made a massive breakthrough, designing and
producing the first wheelchair-accessible vehicle, which changed the
future for people with physical disabilities. Ralph's vision led to the
creation of The Braun Corporation. Veterans have been an essential part
of BraunAbility's story since the beginning. Among Ralph's first
customers were Vietnam War veterans facing an uncertain road ahead and
significant mobility challenges resulting from their service.
Understanding their struggles firsthand, Ralph focused on solutions
that restored their independence, revolutionizing the adaptive vehicle
industry and establishing BraunAbility as a global leader in
accessibility.
BraunAbility continues Ralph Braun's mission of expanding mobility
access. For over 50 years, his legacy has fueled the development of
wheelchair-accessible vans, SUVs, lifts, and adaptive seating,
transforming the lives of more than a million customers. Today,
BraunAbility supports over 2,000 American jobs, with its products
available in more than 50 countries across six continents. Veterans
remain central to BraunAbility's mission, making up approximately 17
percent of its customers. In 2024 alone, thousands of veterans regained
mobility by using BraunAbility's accessible vehicles. These veterans
deserve policies that respect their service and ensure they have access
to the mobility products they need to preserve their independence.
Addressing Adaptive Equipment Policy
`Two in Four' Adaptive Equipment Trade-In Policy
The Automobile Adaptive Equipment policy, encoded at section
3902(b) of Title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.), requires VA to
provide eligible veterans with ``the adaptive equipment deemed
necessary to insure [sic] that the eligible person will be able to
operate [an] automobile or other conveyance.'' VA implements this
policy at 38 CFR sections 17.155-17.159. The term `adaptive equipment'
can cover a wide range of medically necessary vehicle modifications,
including lowered vehicle floors, mobility device lifts, ramps, and
kneeling systems, among other modifications. Adaptive equipment
modifications can increase the cost of a vehicle by thousands or tens
of thousands of dollars. Without VA covering this cost, it would be
impossible for many veterans to afford this life-altering equipment.
Under the AAE program, VA reimburses the eligible veteran or
registered provider for a sizable portion of the veteran's first
vehicle and any adaptive equipment required for the veteran to operate
the vehicle. VA also reimburses the eligible veteran or registered
provider for adaptive equipment for not more than ``two automobiles or
other conveyances at any one time or during any 4-year period.''
Until recently, VA interpreted this `two in four' language to mean
that an eligible veteran could trade in their older vehicle and be
reimbursed for new adaptive equipment every 2 years. Commonly, VA would
reimburse a veteran for a new base vehicle and adaptive equipment, the
veteran would use the vehicle for 2 years, the veteran would trade the
vehicle in to cover the cost of a new base vehicle, and VA would
reimburse the veteran for new adaptive equipment for that vehicle.
After two more years, the veteran would trade in the vehicle again and
the cycle would repeat.
This system meant VA reimbursed veterans for new adaptive equipment
on two automobiles every 4 years, as regulation and statute suggest is
appropriate. The system created a virtuous cycle. Because (besides the
first vehicle) VA only covers the cost of new adaptive equipment, not
the cost of the base vehicle, veterans are on the hook for the cost of
new vehicles. However, a veteran could trade in their used vehicle
after 2 years and the trade-in value would offset the cost of a new
base vehicle while VA would pay for the cost of adaptive equipment.
This system protected veterans' mobility independence by providing
access to adapted vehicles for low or no cost.
Recently, VA changed its interpretation of this policy, resulting
in significant hardship for veterans. To our knowledge, this change in
interpretation occurred without any public comment process or public
notice in the Federal Register. Under the new interpretation, the
veteran cannot trade in the adapted vehicle until after 4 years, rather
than after 2 years like before. Because adapted vehicles depreciate
significantly more quickly than standard vehicles, this policy change
means that vehicle trade-ins no longer cover the cost of a new vehicle.
As a result, to access the VA benefit of new adaptive equipment,
disabled veterans must spend thousands of dollars out of pocket every 4
years to cover the cost of the base vehicle. Moreover, because the
warranty on these vehicles is 36 months and adaptive equipment is
subject to significant wear and tear, veterans often have to pay out of
pocket to repair their own vehicles. This is a problem that, by
statute, VA is supposed to resolve.
Uncertainty in VA Process Blocks Mobility Access--For
veterans seeking a modified vehicle, securing one isn't just about
finding the right fit--it's about waiting for VA's approval, a process
riddled with delays and uncertainty. Without that approval, out-of-
pocket costs remain unknown, leaving veterans stuck in financial limbo.
Planning becomes nearly impossible. Should they move forward with
purchasing a vehicle? Can they afford both the conversion and the car
itself? With no clear answers until the VA's decision arrives,
everything grinds to a halt. Veterans are forced to navigate layers of
bureaucracy before they can even begin the process of regaining
mobility. The recent change in trade-in policy has only exacerbated
this issue, and the inefficiencies don't stop there. VA's sluggish
approach to approving quotes creates additional obstacles: veterans
must wait to see not just what will be approved, but how much they'll
be expected to cover themselves. Meanwhile, they can't secure financing
or even hold a vehicle because approved amounts remain in limbo.
Instead of streamlining the process to support those who need mobility
solutions, the VA's current system forces veterans into an endless
waiting game--one that delays independence and leaves them stranded in
uncertainty.
Nothing in statute or regulation suggests that there should be a
requirement to own a vehicle for 4 years before trade-in, yet VA made
this change that directly harms disabled veterans. The decrease in
trade-ins also results in fewer used adapted vehicles on the market for
other non--veteran disabled Americans who cannot afford the cost of a
new vehicle. VA's policy is putting true mobility and accessibility out
of reach for tens of thousands of Americans, particularly veterans who
were wounded in service of their country.
VA's altered interpretation of the adaptive equipment allowance is
in direct contradiction with the doctrine of Gardner deference, also
known as veterans canon. Gardner deference, rooted in the 1994 Supreme
Court case Brown v. Gardner, holds that in cases of interpretive doubt
of a statute or regulation, benefits should be resolved in favor of the
veteran. Applied to adaptive equipment trade-in policy, even if there
is interpretive doubt in the phrase from 38 USC 3903, ``An eligible
person shall not be entitled to adaptive equipment under this chapter
for more than two automobiles or other conveyances at any one time...
during any 4-year period,'' that doubt should be resolved in favor of
the veteran.
VA's new requirement to have owned a vehicle for 4 years before
being eligible for a trade-in appears nowhere in statute or regulation.
VA is interpreting this policy in a way that directly harms disabled
veterans. VA should reinstate its prior policy of allowing trade-ins
and providing new adaptive equipment after 2 years, as intended in
statute.
Prompt Payment
As discussed above, the adaptive equipment allowance policy
provides veterans with the vehicles and adaptive equipment they need to
secure mobility independence. In most instances, veterans receive
adapted vehicles from government-registered dealers. Dealers are then
reimbursed by VA upon submission of VA Form 10-1394, an itemized
estimate before work, and an itemized invoice upon completion of work.
However, according to the National Mobility Equipment Dealers
Association (NMEDA), there are almost $11 million in payments to
dealers that are more than 90 days overdue. Many accounts are over 6
months overdue with some exceeding a year overdue. This is a
longstanding, persistent problem with no obvious cause----some VA
locations make regular on-time payments while others have dozens of
overdue invoices worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
These overdue payments cause disabled veterans and mobility dealers
significant hardship. At any given dealer, roughly 20 to 40 percent of
their business is with VA. For these dealers, especially small dealers,
these delays make it difficult to manage operations, invest in new
technology, or plan for the future. For veterans directly reimbursed by
VA, these delays mean that they can be out of pocket tens of thousands
of dollars for months.
The Prompt Payment Act states at (31 USC Sec. 3903(a)(1)) that the
required payment date is ``30 days after a proper invoice for the
amount due is received if a specific payment date is not established by
contract.'' The Prompt Payment Act also states at (31 USC Sec.
3903(7)(B)) that ``any invoice determined not to be such a proper
invoice suitable for payment shall be returned as soon as practicable,
but not later than 7 days, after receipt, specifying the reasons that
the invoice is not a proper invoice.'' Taken together, these provisions
mean that VA is required to pay dealers within 30 days of receiving a
completed invoice and, in the case of an unsuitable invoice, inform
dealers of the unsuitable invoice and how to correct it within 7 days
of receipt.
BraunAbility's trade association, NMEDA, is currently tracking just
under $11 million in payments to dealers that are averaging 187 days
overdue. It should be noted that this data is submitted from 89 of the
302 NMEDA member locations and is counted once the payments are 60 days
past due. Submission of the data to NMEDA by its members is voluntary
so the actual past due total is most likely much higher. This total
includes not just wheelchair accessible vehicles but adaptive equipment
and repairs as well. Moreover, to our knowledge, dealers rarely, if
ever, receive notice from VA within 7 days that an invoice is
unsuitable. Recently, VA reported that it had only two invoices over 90
days overdue. We believe that there is a systemic lack of communication
within VA that results in the agency processing dealers' reimbursement
invoices with considerable delay. We ask VA to honor its commitment to
disabled veterans and prioritize prompt reimbursements to veterans and
dealers for adaptive automotive equipment.
Adaptive Equipment Schedule
Under VA's recent Adaptive Equipment Allowance rule (RIN: 2900-
AP39), finalized July 17, 2024, VA established the Adaptive Equipment
Schedule for Automobiles and Other Conveyances (``Schedule''). The
Schedule is intended to calculate ``the amount of the monetary
allowance for adaptive equipment based on industry standards and our
experience administering this program.'' In its rulemaking, VA
committed to increasing the reimbursement amounts in the Schedule based
on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) expenditure category for ``motor
vehicle parts and equipment''.
In concept, the Schedule should standardize payment and provide a
fair valuation for adaptive equipment for the future. However, the
Schedule--published in July 2024--relies on data from 2021, meaning
that it significantly undervalues the cost of adaptive equipment.
Adaptive equipment dealers are currently being reimbursed for
significantly less than fair market value.
On average, the CPI for ``motor vehicle parts and equipment''
suggests that the prices in the Schedule need to be increased by 17
percent to reflect the true cost of adaptive equipment in 2025. We
request that VA rely on CPI data to increase the prices reflected in
the Schedule for every year since 2021, the year data was collected.
This will ensure that veterans and dealers are properly reimbursed for
the real cost of adaptive equipment.
Essential Mobility Upgrades Denied by VA--Some critical
mobility modifications never make it into VA's Schedule, meaning they
simply can't be included for financial assistance--regardless of
necessity. Essential equipment, like reduced effort steering and
braking, often falls into this gap, forcing veterans to cover
unexpected costs out-of-pocket. In one case, VA reviewed a conversion
quote and arbitrarily cut more than half of the proposed expenses. With
the remaining costs too high to absorb, the mobility dealer couldn't
bridge the gap, leaving the veteran without crucial modifications. As a
result, mobility and independence were put on hold--another example of
how vague policies place veterans in an impossible position between
what's required and what's approved. One veteran, relying on a 17-year-
old vehicle, required a new rack and pinion system, but VA refused to
cover backup braking or steering because they weren't listed on the
initial evaluation form. With costs totaling $21,000, VA only approved
$6,000, expecting the dealer and veteran to absorb the remaining
$15,000--an unsustainable request. VA is frequently unwilling to
accommodate necessary modifications, leaving veterans and providers to
shoulder unexpected expenses with little regard for their financial
realities.
We are deeply concerned with VA's negligence in delivering prompt
payment and failure to properly account for inflation in the adaptive
equipment Schedule. Moreover, we disapprove of VA overturning its
longstanding policy that veterans may trade in their adapted vehicles
after 2 years and receive new adaptive equipment, a change made without
any public comment process or official notice. We call on VA to honor
its commitment to our Nation's wounded heroes: deliver prompt payment
to adaptive equipment dealers, update the adaptive equipment Schedule
to ensure proper pricing, and reverse the harmful change to adaptive
equipment allowance interpretation.
Call to Action: Protect Veterans' Mobility Access
Addressing Key Policy Challenges
Mobility equipment manufacturers like BraunAbility play a vital
role in ensuring veterans and individuals with disabilities maintain
their independence. Similarly, mobility equipment dealers provide the
link between manufacturers and disabled veterans. However, current VA
policies threaten the ability of these businesses to operate and serve
veterans. Without action, veterans risk losing access to essential
mobility solutions.
To strengthen accessibility for veterans, we respectfully request
the VA take the following steps:
Restore the previous vehicle trade-in policy, allowing
disabled veterans to exchange vehicles every 2 years, as originally
intended in statute. This will ensure access to updated adaptive
equipment without undue financial hardship.
Ensure timely reimbursements for adaptive equipment
dealers by addressing overdue payments and implementing a system for
prompt future payments.
Update pricing schedules for adaptive equipment using
current Consumer Price Index (CPI) data to reflect 2025 costs. Existing
rates, based on outdated 2021 data, no longer cover actual expenses.
Partnering to Protect Veterans' Mobility Independence
These actions are necessary to ensure businesses can continue
providing essential mobility solutions to disabled veterans.
BraunAbility encourages VA to work with industry partners to address
these challenges and implement reforms that protect veterans' access to
independence and mobility.
ADDENDUM / CASE EXAMPLES
New Conversion, Old Classification--A veteran diagnosed with ALS
made the decision to--purchase a pre-owned accessible van, which was
considered a new conversion on a used vehicle. Given the progressive
nature of ALS, a pre-owned van was a more practical and economical
option. However, VA classified the entire vehicle as used, even though
the conversion and modifications were brand new, making them ineligible
for necessary financial support. As a result, the only options were
selling the veteran a new van or nothing at all--creating an
unnecessary financial hurdle for a veteran in need.
VA Error Leaves Veteran with $70K Bill--A 78-year-old Vietnam
veteran received a signed 4502 form from the VA, approving mobility
modifications. The dealer followed every required step--submitting
quotes, securing authorization, ordering parts, and delivering the
vehicle. Yet after final paperwork was submitted, the VA suddenly
reversed its stance, claiming the veteran was ineligible, despite its
own signed approval. This error led to a denial of payment, leaving the
veteran burdened with a $70,340.02 bill. To make matters worse, VA
instructed the dealer to repossess the vehicle, placing the veteran in
an impossible financial position. Even after admitting the mistake, the
regional office still refuses to correct it, insisting on repossession.
This situation exposes serious flaws in VA's approval process, forcing
veterans and providers to either second-guess every decision or risk
devastating financial consequences--all because someone checked the
wrong box.
New Upgrades, Old Rules--A modified van should provide freedom and
mobility, but bureaucratic regulations often create unexpected
barriers. In this case, a veteran purchased a 2022 van for conversion,
expecting essential modifications to be covered. However, because VA
classified the vehicle as 3 years old--despite the conversion and
customizations being brand new--they only agreed to cover 40 percent of
the quoted cost. With a remaining balance of $60,000, neither the
veteran nor the dealer could absorb the expense. Previously, the
veteran had worked through VA to receive a fully covered vehicle. Now,
needing electronic mobility control (``EMC'') equipment to drive, he
followed the same process, believing he was taking the right steps. But
VA policy dictates that when additional equipment is required, the van
may be categorized as ``used,'' disqualifying the owner from new
vehicle assistance under the 4-year rule. Even though the modifications
are brand new, the depreciation rate applied to used conversions often
makes the final cost unaffordable. The result? A frustrating situation
where rigid policy trumps practical necessity, leaving veterans and
dealers to bear the burden with little flexibility or willingness to
reconsider the individual needs of those affected.
Red Tape Stalls Veterans' Driving Evaluations--Navigating the VA
system for a driving evaluation has become an increasingly time-
consuming and frustrating process. Today's process requires an annual
driver evaluation--but appointment times continue to stretch months
into the future due to a shortage of evaluators. Once the evaluation is
completed, a new obstacle arises: the evaluator's report often doesn't
align with VA's Schedule, triggering a cascade of administrative
hurdles. Veterans and dealers find themselves stuck in a cycle of
revision requests, back-and-forth calls with evaluators, appeals to the
Prosthetics department, and waiting for the Regional Office to reject
the evaluation--just to start the process over. What once took just 24
hours for approval can now drag on for weeks, leaving veterans without
the mobility solutions they need. Further complicating matters, some VA
offices prohibit dealers from speaking directly to evaluators, instead
requiring them to go through the Prosthetics department, adding yet
another layer of delay. This bureaucratic tangle not only postpones
essential mobility modifications but also forces veterans into an
exhausting loop where paperwork precision is prioritized over their
actual needs. The result? Untold delays that keep veterans waiting for
the independence they deserve.
Solutions, Not Indifference: A Path for Partnership to Help
Veterans--Navigating VA's vehicle policies is difficult enough, but the
real issue is the lack of compassion veterans feel when problems arise.
Instead of working toward solutions, VA's default response is often
repossession--forcing the financial burden onto the veteran rather than
addressing mistakes collaboratively. If a veteran cannot afford a
necessary expense, the reaction is often dismissive: ``It's not the
VA's problem.'' Rather than seeking alternative options or helping, the
solution is simply to deny the sale, leaving veterans stranded without
mobility or support. When policy takes precedence over people, and
problem-solving is replaced with indifference, veterans are left
without the help they need. For many, the VA no longer feels like an
ally, but an obstacle. As one veteran put it: ``I used to feel like the
VA took care of their veterans, and now they simply don't care.'' And
when the VA won't step up, mobility dealers are left scrambling to fill
the gap, absorbing costs that should never have fallen on their
shoulders in the first place. Instead, we call on VA to partner with
BraunAbility, other manufacturers, and adaptive equipment dealers to
help veterans in need. BraunAbility believes strongly in VA's mission
to care for former servicemembers, and we believe that with the right
reforms, we can ensure that every disabled veteran secures mobility
freedom.
Prepared Statement of Julie Howell
Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and members of the
subcommittee, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) appreciates the
opportunity to testify on VA's adaptive programs, which are critical
for disabled veterans, especially PVA members - veterans who have
acquired a spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D). For almost 80 years,
PVA has been a voice for thousands of veterans who experienced
catastrophic injury or illness, ensuring that the Department of Veteran
Affairs (VA) was prepared to care for our Nation's most vulnerable
veterans. The VA offers health care and benefits for millions of
veterans but rarely discussed are ancillary programs like the ones
being examined today.
PVA's programs and departments allow our organization to
collaborate in unique ways with many of the VA programs being discussed
in this hearing. For example, we have a team of architects on staff who
review all VA SCI/D construction projects, ensuring new facilities are
fully accessible to SCI/D and other disabled veterans. We also work on
VA's design guides for SCI/D health care facilities. In addition to
working with VA on ensuring that building projects are barrier free for
disabled veterans, our architects also work with individual disabled
veterans on accessible home design.
Our Veterans Benefits Department is staffed with national service
officers (NSO) around the country who are experts at complex claims
work and are well versed in the intricacies of applying for programs
like the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant, the Automobile
Allowance, the Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) program, and other
ancillary benefits our members rely on.
PVA's Sports and Recreation Department offers over 60 free, year-
round adaptive sporting and recreational opportunities in partnership
with the VA and our 33 chapters across the country. These include
adaptive cycling, trapshooting, boccia ball, bass fishing, wheelchair
basketball, wheelchair rugby, and many other events that promote a
healthy and active lifestyle, all while fostering community and
independence. Each year, PVA partners with the VA to host the National
Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG), the largest gathering of veteran
wheelchair athletes in the country. The opportunities made available to
PVA members because of adaptive sports are endless. Not only does our
sports programing offer camaraderie, but it also improves the physical
and mental health of thousands of veterans across the country.
VA's Housing Adaptation Programs
For catastrophically ill and injured veterans, housing adaptations
are critical to living a safe and independent life. Although important,
an adapted home is more than just a wheelchair ramp through the front
door. Without housing adaptations, veterans with SCI/D may be forced to
live in homes that don't meet their needs and greatly inhibit their
ability to travel within them or use the kitchen or bathroom with any
level of independence.
VA's SAH grant program provides crucial funding to allow veterans
with specific catastrophic disabilities to adapt their homes to allow
them to live independently with their families in their communities.
The SAH grant can be used to purchase, build, or remodel an existing
house to an adapted home for veterans who have experienced blindness,
who have experienced loss of use in their hands or a lower extremity,
or who have severe burns or respiratory injuries. For Fiscal Year 2024,
an eligible veteran can qualify for up to $117,014 through the SAH
grant. Qualified veterans can return to their SAH allowance up to six
times or until the amount available has been exhausted.\1\
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\1\ VA's Handbook for Design: A Guide for Specially Adapted Housing
(SAH) and Special Housing Adaptation (SAH) Projects, September 2021.
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When a veteran acquires a catastrophic injury or illness, they are
often experiencing a sense of tremendous loss and are navigating
complex feelings like grief and depression. These veterans generally
feel like they've lost their independence, yet trained SAH agents are
experts at having these sensitive conversations. Historically, an SAH
agent would meet with the veteran and their family, in their home to
assess their needs and determine which adaptations would best serve the
veteran. These face-to-face meetings are critical in ensuring that VA
funds are properly applied to medically necessary adaptations and that
the work needed is completed by a reputable contractor.
PVA has heard from many of our members and NSOs across the country
that there are new barriers in receiving support from SAH agents. Due
to recent staffing reforms, SAH agents are now expected to cover a
larger catchment area, they are prohibited from travel on toll roads
which increases the time it takes to travel to a veteran's home and are
expected to conduct many inspections virtually. It is highly unlikely
that an SAH agent is going to be able to perform a virtual home
inspection with the same level of detail and understanding as an in-
person inspection. This leaves a lot of room for errors and mistakes,
and therefore begs the question, ``Who will be responsible for subpar
construction or inappropriate materials, when remote inspections are
the only option?'' SAH agents have learned the most effective way to
deliver this benefit is with in-person home inspections that not only
safeguard taxpayer dollars from misuse but provide an expert on the
ground to help veterans and their families receive appropriate
modifications for their homes.
Recently, PVA's National Treasurer received an email from his SAH
agent informing him of his early retirement. He wanted to make sure
that all the veterans he worked with knew he was leaving, and that
another agent would be in touch soon, but couldn't provide a timeline
for his replacement. Our members are experiencing this across the
country, and we fear that without robust staffing of the SAH program,
as well as administrative support to process all the necessary
documents, service-connected catastrophically disabled veterans will
not be able to receive the dedicated attention they need for their
individual situations. In general, SAH agents are dedicated to
delivering these benefits in a timely manner, but the high quality of
service the program is known for may diminish if they experience
continued staffing decreases.
Another critical adaptive housing program is the Home Improvements
and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant. Designed to be nimbler than
the SAH grant, HISA is often used to make modifications to a home such
as adding a wheelchair ramp or improving bathroom accessibility.
Unfortunately, this program is no longer meeting the needs of veterans
because the grant amounts have not increased since 2010 despite
construction and material costs rising more than 50 percent over the
past 15 years. H.R. 2245, the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act, and
H.R. 3309, the Autonomy for All Disabled Veterans Act, would raise the
HISA amount to better meet the needs of veterans and tie the grant to
an inflation index, enabling the grant to automatically keep up with
future needs.
While PVA members and other disabled veterans rely on these home
modification grants for their independence, the need for increased
efficiency around the program is critical. One of our NSOs shared that
a veteran can submit their VA Form 26-4555, Application in Acquiring
Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation Grant, directly to
the VA, but it can take months before that veteran receives a response.
Modernizing the application process for this critical benefit would
improve the experience for veterans, while minimizing the
administrative burden for VA staff. Veterans who are eligible for the
SAH grant and are experiencing barriers and limitations in their homes
must be able to access these resources in a timely manner for their
health and well-being.
Vehicle Modifications and the Auto Grant
Access to safe and reliable transportation is essential to the
mobility, health, and independence of catastrophically disabled
veterans. Improving transportation access is a top priority for PVA and
we were proud to advocate for the Veterans AUTO and Education
Improvement Act (P.L. 117-333). This life changing legislation
authorized the VA to issue a second auto grant to an eligible veteran
starting initially with veterans who received their grant more than 30
years ago.
To receive a VA auto grant, a veteran must receive a rating
decision issued by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) which
establishes eligibility for the Auto Grant and Adaptive Equipment. A
veteran must then complete VA Form 21-4502 (application for the Auto
Grant) and submit it to VBA. Once VBA processes the 4502 and certifies
it, they send it back to the veteran with an Award Letter letting the
veteran know their grant has been approved, and with instructions to
bring the form to the dealer where they intend to purchase a vehicle.
The dealer and veteran work with the Prosthetics Department at their
local VA medical center on authorized adaptive equipment, and once the
vehicle is ready for delivery and a veteran accepts delivery, they sign
the 4502 indicating they received the vehicle, and the dealer sends the
4502 to the local VA regional office for payment.
This process may seem reasonable for able-bodied individuals, but
it is time-consuming and cumbersome for veterans with catastrophic
disabilities. There is ample room for the VA to make improvements to
this process and increase efficiency. For example, the VA should
dedicate additional resources focused on modernization of this
application process by evolving to a digital application which can be
accessed remotely, allowing for e-signatures to reduce the burden
placed on veterans.
We have heard several stories from PVA members and NSOs of veterans
needing to wait months for approval or for VBA to issue grant payments
at which point the dealership has already sold the vehicle the veteran
planned to purchase. VA bureaucracy should never impede the delivery of
benefits for eligible veterans, particularly for something as critical
as transportation. This process becomes more complicated when a
dealership has no experience in dealing with the VA or this program.
The Veterans AUTO and Education Improvement Act not only authorized
an additional auto grant for eligible veterans, but it also amended the
definition of ``medical services'' to include certain vehicle
modifications (e.g., van lifts) offered through VA's medical benefits
package. Specifically, it amended the definition of ``medical
services'' under 38 U.S.C. Sec. 1701(6) to include the provision of
medically necessary van lifts, raised doors, raised roofs, air
conditioning, and wheelchair tiedowns for passenger use. The change was
intended to codify VA's existing practice of furnishing certain items,
like van lifts and wheelchair tiedowns, to catastrophically disabled
veterans. However, where the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has
used these items as examples, the statute defines them as the only
types of modifications that are permissible. Remember, this is for
adaptive equipment through the VA's medical benefits package and is
different from the Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) program for
eligible service-connected veterans.
Like the VA, we agree that a technical amendment to 38 U.S.C. Sec.
1701(6) is needed to give the department greater flexibility in making
the necessary modifications to veterans' vehicles to ensure they can
safely enter or exit the vehicle and transport needed equipment,
including power wheelchairs. The statutory language inadvertently
limits the scope of an existing benefit. As a result, PVA strongly
supports H.R. 1364, the Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe
Transportation Act of 2025, which addresses this oversight to ensure
that seriously disabled veterans are getting the equipment and
modifications needed to travel safely. We urge swift passage of this
legislation.
Reforms are also needed to the AAE program. The necessary
adaptations approved by VA through the AAE program are in some cases
adaptations that the veteran pays for directly and is then reimbursed
by VBA. Some medically necessary features of a vehicle can be things
like air conditioning, automatic transmissions, power brakes, and power
windows. When vehicle manufacturers stopped itemizing these features
there was no way to determine what kind of reimbursement should be
issued to the veteran, other than VHA Directive 2011-046 which VA
Prosthetics and Sensory Aid Services (PSAS) now states has been
rescinded. The cost for these types of features is now included in the
base price of the vehicle. Since the items aren't itemized, veterans'
ability to prove the cost to them has effectively disappeared. The
applicable statute, 38 U.S.C. Sec. 3901(2), provides in part that the
term ``adaptive equipment'' includes, but is not limited to, power
steering, power brakes, power window lifts, power seats,'' and (A) air-
conditioning equipment when such equipment is necessary to the health
and safety of the veteran and to the safety of others.'' \2\
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\2\ 38 U.S. Code Sec. 3901--Definitions U.S. Code US Law LII /
Legal Information Institute.
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In July 2024, VA issued a final rule titled, ``Adaptive Equipment
Allowance.'' This new rule effectively ignores the statutory
requirement to reimburse veterans for these items. VA's new form 10-
1394, Application for Adaptive Equipment, does not list items like
power windows, brakes, and other statutorily listed items. Also, the
new AAE reimbursement schedule lists these items with a reimbursement
rate of $0. So, although the new regulation says VA will pay for this
equipment, VA is making it impossible for veterans to be reimbursed by
implementing significant roadblocks to this statutory benefit. Even
prior to changing the rule, VA would deny veterans reimbursement and
force them to appeal denials. The Board of Veterans' Appeals has
reversed these denials. It is inefficient and a waste of taxpayer
dollars to deny veterans' statutorily earned benefits and require them
to file appeals to receive them.
In addition, VA's PSAS now maintains that a veteran cannot trade-in
a vehicle VA paid to adapt until that vehicle has been on a veteran's
record for 4 years. PVA maintains that this interpretation is not based
on law. PSAS has cited 38 CFR 17.158(a) to support their new
``policy,'' but VA did not change the regulation prior to changing its
policy. This interpretation is quite burdensome for catastrophically
disabled veterans and has resulted in requests for equitable relief for
veterans who were in the process of receiving a new vehicle when VA's
interpretation changed. We believe that VA must end this new policy.
Finally, we understand that many of the businesses that adapt
vehicles for use by disabled veterans are waiting on past due invoices
pending with VA. We are concerned that these businesses may be unable
to continue to provide services to veterans using VA benefits because
of the financial burden placed on them as they wait for payment. This
would cause great harm to catastrophically disabled veterans. Our goal
is to make sure veterans have access to critical vehicle adaptations
when needed.
Adaptive Sports Grant Program and Recreation Opportunities
As previously mentioned, our signature adaptive sports event is the
NVWG. This event, which PVA hosts in partnership with the VA, brings
hundreds of veterans together each year fostering team building,
camaraderie, and independence. For many novice wheelchair athletes, the
NVWG is the first time they've flown, or stayed in a hotel, or been to
such a large event since their injury or diagnosis. A separate program,
the VA's Adaptive Sports Grant Program, is a well-established and
meticulously administered program for organizations like PVA to offer
opportunities to improve independence, well-being, and quality of life
through adaptive sports.
Adaptive sports are much more than just recreation; they are a
critical component of healing, rehabilitation, and community
reintegration. They provide supportive opportunities for veterans to
regain their confidence and independence while discovering a community
that understands the complications and challenges faced by wheelchair
users. Eliminating grants or reducing necessary VA staff, specifically
recreational therapists, would reduce the number of opportunities for
veterans and exacerbate barriers to participation and rehabilitation.
It is difficult to describe how impactful adaptive sports can be on
an individual veteran's life. PVA members who participate in adaptive
sport programs improve their cardiovascular health, increase their
strength, stability, and endurance, all of which lead to a longer and
healthier life. The benefits of accessible adaptive sports go beyond
just improved physical health; they can also have a profound impact on
veteran mental health. James, an Air Force veteran, told PVA, ``I love
adaptive sports; they saved my life. [They] got me off drugs and
alcohol and my suicidal ideations stopped. When I first came in 2018, I
was depressed and suicidal and didn't really want to be here. Another
veteran I met schooled me, talked to me about the competition and the
games, and what it's like to have like-minded people being here. I went
home with three gold medals and a bronze that year.'' Similarly, Jason,
a Marine Corps veteran, spoke of the power of adaptive sports by
saying, ``Living in the darkness, living with depression, keeping
yourself in dark places, you eat yourself away. But being able to push
barriers, that helps people know there is more to life. Adaptive
fitness can help save a life; it gives you a great sense of purpose.''
The VA's Adaptive Sports Grant, and adaptive sports more broadly,
help change the lives of disabled veterans for the better. It's
important to note that VA staff are the facilitators of these
transformational programs. Occupational therapists, physical
therapists, and recreational therapists work in coordination with each
other and other providers to offer evidence-based treatment and
rehabilitation, improve wellness and lifestyle, and ultimately improve
a veteran's quality of life. Recreational therapists are professionals
who assist veterans in finding a reason to reengage with the world
around them post injury or diagnosis in a holistic way. They offer
individualized care that impacts a veteran's social, cognitive, and
physical health and help to bridge the gap between their clinical
rehabilitation and community reintegration.
The profound impact of recreation and recreational therapists has
long been debated, as demonstrated in the testimony of PVA Past
President, Donald H. Broderick, before the Senate Veterans' Affairs
Committee in 1975. In his testimony, Past President Broderick testified
that:
``Patients are left to their own devices resulting in rampant
deviant behavior. Instead of scheduled recreational and
cultural activities in the evening hours and on weekends, the
patient is forced to seek diversionary interests for himself.
For the average person this is of no consequence, but to a man
who has recently suffered such an injury as to make him
question the value of life, the results can be more crippling
that his paralysis. Rather than have young men turn to drugs
and alcohol, suffer unnecessary emotional strain, and devoid
themselves of motivation and expectations needed to recover
from the catastrophic disabilities of paraplegia, blindness, or
multiple amputation, we can assist them. Through stimulating
severely disabled patients to use their leisure time
constructively, as much can be done to guarantee their
rehabilitation as by providing educational or vocational
training. It is a proven fact that the greatest number of
failures in rehabilitating a person, occur in the evening hours
and on weekends when they are away from work. It seems
senseless to throw away the efforts, money, and most important,
individuals' lives, because of the failure to teach that person
how to cope with his leisure time. Money and specific programs
must be directed in this area, or we shall lose many valuable
men to a life of failure, and ultimately, confinement in VA
hospitals. You must prod the VA to take action and begin an
active and effective program of recreation.''
Congress and the VA heeded these suggestions and over the years
have developed robust adaptive sports and recreation programs that
promote physical and mental health, which offer opportunities for
collaboration and increased engagement between the VA and veteran
organizations and ultimately has had a lasting impact on the lives of
thousands of individual veterans. Several PVA members who discovered
adaptive sports at the VA, and who participated in the NVWG, have gone
on to be Paralympians representing Team USA this past year in Paris.
Marco, a Marine Corps Veteran, was a second time Paralympian, Mason
competed on the USA Wheelchair Rugby team where they took the Silver
Metal, and Jason competed in para-archery where he took home the Gold
for Team USA.
We urge Congress to reauthorize the VA's Adaptive Sports Grant
program which is set to expire at the end of the year. When it comes to
Federal funding having a direct impact on veterans, there are very few
other opportunities, if any, that have such a positive impact on the
quality of someone's life. The resources spent on these amazing
programs and opportunities have a profound impact on veterans, their
families, their caregivers, and their communities.
In closing, adaptive programs and benefits are essential in the
life and well-being of PVA members. Before any of these were available
to disabled veterans, it was common practice for veterans to languish
in long-term care facilities or other institutional settings rather
than living independent lives that allowed them to thrive. Now,
disabled veterans can live meaningful lives within their communities.
They can drive themselves to work, their VA appointments, or other
activities in their local communities. Every one of them is a living
example how support from the VA can transform the lives of
catastrophically disabled veterans in a meaningful and lasting way.
Thank you for the opportunity to share our views on adaptive
programs offered by the VA. We look forward to working with the
subcommittee and the VA to ensure the longevity of the programs
discussed at the hearing today.
Information Required by Rule XI 2(g) of the House of Representatives
Pursuant to Rule XI 2(g) of the House of Representatives, the
following information is provided regarding Federal grants and
contracts.
Fiscal Year 2025
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of National Veterans Sports
Programs & Special Events--Grant to support rehabilitation sports
activities--$502,000.
Fiscal Year 2023
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of National Veterans Sports
Programs & Special Events--Grant to support rehabilitation sports
activities--$479,000.
Fiscal Year 2022
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of National Veterans Sports
Programs & Special Events--Grant to support rehabilitation sports
activities--$ 437,745.
Disclosure of Foreign Payments
Paralyzed Veterans of America is largely supported by donations
from the general public. However, in some very rare cases we receive
direct donations from foreign nationals. In addition, we receive
funding from corporations and foundations which in some cases are U.S.
subsidiaries of non-U.S. companies.
Statements for the Record
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Prepared Statement of Homes For Our Troops
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Prepared Statement of National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA), a non-
profit trade association representing over 300 members across the
mobility industry, strongly supports the testimony submitted by
BraunAbility to Chair Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas, and all members
of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
For more than 35 years, NMEDA has championed safe, reliable, and
customized transportation solutions for individuals with disabilities--
including our Nation's disabled veterans. Our membership includes
mobility equipment manufacturers, dealers, driver rehabilitation
specialists, and other professionals committed to enhancing the
independence and quality of life of those we serve.
NMEDA supports BraunAbility's testimony because it highlights three
key priorities that are critical to the success and sustainability of
the VA's adaptive automotive program:
1. Updating the Adaptive Equipment Schedule: An accurate,
modernized equipment schedule is essential to ensuring veterans
receive the appropriate mobility solutions they need--
reflecting current technologies, safety standards, and real-
world costs.
2. Prompt Payment: Timely reimbursement to providers is crucial
to maintaining uninterrupted access to adaptive equipment and
services for veterans. Delays jeopardize both the viability of
providers and the continuity of care for those who rely on
these solutions for daily independence.
3. Two-in-Four's Adaptive Equipment Trade-In Policy: The VA's
sudden change in the interpretations of the two-in-four
regulations significantly burdens our veterans.
As a long-standing advocate for veterans' mobility needs, NMEDA
urges the Subcommittee to take these recommendations seriously.
Ensuring veterans have access to updated equipment and prompt provider
payments directly supports their freedom, dignity, and mobility.
Prepared Statement of Disabled American Veterans
Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Member Pappas and Members of the
Subcommittee:
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) appreciates the opportunity to
provide testimony for this oversight hearing titled, ``Pushing VA
Forward: Review of VA's Adaptive Programs for Disabled Veterans''.
DAV is a congressionally chartered non-profit veterans service
organization composed of nearly one million wartime service-disabled
veterans. Our single purpose is to empower veterans to lead high-
quality lives with respect and dignity.
VA adaptive programs play a crucial role in enhancing the quality
of life for service-disabled veterans. These programs provide financial
assistance for essential modifications and specialized equipment,
enabling veterans to live more independently and safely by enhancing
their mobility, accessibility, and overall well-being. These programs
foster veterans' independence while enhancing their mental, emotional,
and physical health, allowing them to engage more fully in daily
activities and social interactions. Adaptive sports initiatives
complement these efforts by promoting physical activity, building
confidence, and helping veterans lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.
In partnership with the VA, DAV is proud to co-host two events each
year focused on adaptive sports initiatives for service-disabled
veterans. One of these events is the Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass,
Colorado, which brings together nearly 400 veterans from across the
country with spinal cord injuries, amputations, traumatic brain
injuries, and near blindness. These veterans are introduced to adaptive
skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, rock wall climbing, educational
sessions, and other activities. Various types of adaptive equipment are
used based on the severity of each veteran's injury, and hundreds of
ski instructors volunteer their time to support the event. The success
of this clinic is heavily reliant on the dedication of these
volunteers. We could not conduct these events without the invaluable
support of the VA and corporate sponsors. Their contributions are
essential to making this life-changing event possible for our Nation's
service-disabled veterans.
DAV and VA also co-host the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic,
which introduces veterans to the therapeutic benefits of golf and other
activities, including kayaking, bicycling, bowling and shooting. Each
year, this event brings together over 200 veterans from across the
United States to Riverside, Iowa. These veterans, who have serious
disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic amputations, and
significant visual impairments, receive intensive instruction from over
75 PGA (Professional Golfer's Association) professionals. This event is
life-changing for both veterans and their caregivers, as they learn
together how to engage in these activities upon returning home.
VA Health Systems Research, Management Briefs eBrief-no154, and
Therapeutic Recreation Journal reviewed the benefits and barriers to
participation in adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans. The
reviews found that adaptive sports significantly improve veterans'
independence, well-being, and quality of life. The results indicate
veterans make significant improvements in their psychological health,
and reductions in mood disturbances such as depression and anger. These
studies highlight the need to expand existing adaptive sports equipment
programs and create new initiatives.
In addition to the positive impact of adaptive sports programs, it
is important to recognize the comprehensive support provided by the
VA's adaptive equipment programs. The VA administers a range of
adaptive programs, each with distinct requirements, designed to address
the diverse needs of different veteran populations. These programs
encompass both residential modifications and automotive adaptations,
ensuring comprehensive support for veterans across various aspects of
daily living.
The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant
program is an initiative that provides veterans with financial
assistance to make necessary modifications to their homes. These
modifications, such as installing ramps, widening doorways, and adding
accessible bathrooms, significantly enhance the safety and
accessibility of veterans' living environments. By addressing physical
barriers within the home, this program empowers veterans to live more
independently and comfortably, reducing the risk of injuries and
improving their overall quality of life and well-being.
The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant program is another
essential initiative that supports veterans with severe disabilities by
providing housing adaptions to create barrier-free environments for
veterans with severe disabilities. These adaptations include
constructing wheelchair-accessible homes, installing specialized
fixtures, and structural changes to accommodate mobility devices. This
program's emphasis on creating tailored living environments for
veterans with significant physical challenges ensures they can live
safely and independently. By offering substantial financial support for
these specialized adaptations, the program helps veterans achieve a
higher level of comfort and functionality in their daily lives.
The Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant program helps veterans with
certain service-connected disabilities to modify or purchase a home. It
provides allowances for adaptations to accommodate specific
disabilities with the goal of enabling service-disabled veterans to
live independently in a home that meets their specific needs. While
both the SAH and SHA initiatives target improved living conditions for
veterans, their respective services and financial support vary.
The Automotive Adaptive Equipment program focuses on providing
veterans with the modifications to their vehicles, enabling them to
drive safely and comfortably. These upgrades include hand controls,
wheelchair lifts, and other assistive devices addressing the needs of
disabled veterans to ensure that they can maintain their independence
and engage in community activities without limitations.
Although the benefits these adaptive programs bring to veterans are
invaluable, our members have identified several concerns, particularly
the complexity of the eligibility requirements. Each program has
similar yet distinct eligibility criteria, which can make it difficult
for veterans to distinguish between them or they may not be aware of
their eligibility for more than one program. This lack of clarity can
hinder veterans from accessing the full range of benefits available to
them. In some cases, eligibility requires approval from both the
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the Veterans Health
Administration (VHA), further complicating the process and potentially
delaying access to necessary modifications and equipment. In addition,
when VA does not verify eligibility properly, it can create an
overpayment of benefits.
A significant issue for housing grants is the conflict between
building code enforcement and the specific needs of veterans. For
instance, if a veteran requires a larger opening to a room to
accommodate a wheelchair or other mobility device, an electrical outlet
may need to be removed. Should the building code mandate a certain
number of outlets in the room, this modification could render the room
non-compliant, resulting in serious delays and substantial hardship for
the veteran. Similarly, modifications such as lowering countertops for
accessibility may not align with existing building codes, causing
further delays and complications. These conflicts highlight the urgent
need for better coordination between VA and local contractors to ensure
that necessary modifications are implemented as required and in a
timely manner.
There are also instances where communication lapses have led to
significant delays in project completion. For the SAH and SHA programs,
the failure of VA to maintain regular communication with veterans and
builders has led to delays and disputes. Similarly, veterans have
reported challenges with understanding the eligibility criteria and
navigating the application process for Home Improvements and Structural
Alterations grants, often stemming from inadequate communication and
support from VA representatives. These examples underscore the need for
improved communication and support from the VA to ensure veterans can
effectively access the benefits from these programs. The VA should
implement a centralized case management system, assign dedicated
liaison officers, enhance digital communication tools, improve staff
training, coordinate with local authorities, and expand outreach
efforts to ensure veterans receive timely and effective support in
accessing adaptive equipment and housing programs.
Improving IT systems for eligibility reviews could also speed up
the process and reduce unnecessary overpayments. It is essential for VA
staff to be well-versed in the specifics of each program to reduce
errors. The VA should collaborate more closely with state and local
officials to request exceptions to building codes, without compromising
safety, when applying any of the housing modification programs.
Training for VA personnel should emphasize the timeliness of
communication throughout the process. Ensuring that veterans understand
what is needed from them will help mitigate delays and confusion,
ultimately improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these vital
programs.
Finally, funding shortages present significant challenges for VA
adaptive equipment programs. Allocated funds often fall short of
meeting the growing demand and rising costs associated with these
adaptations. For instance, the maximum grant amounts have remained
unchanged for years, despite inflation and increasing construction
costs.
By addressing both physical and psychological needs, adaptive
equipment and sports programs empower service-disabled veterans to live
more independently, engage in their communities, and enjoy a higher
quality of life. To sustain these efforts, Congress must collaborate
with the VA to secure increased funding, raise grant maximums, improve
communication, upgrade IT systems, and enhance VA staff training--
ensuring these programs continue to meet the evolving needs of veterans
with disabilities and provide the resources and opportunities they
deserve.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be pleased to
answer questions you or members of the Subcommittee may have.
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