[Senate Report 113-107]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 186
113th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 113-107
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CAREGIVERS EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT
ACT OF 2013
_______
September 17, 2013.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Sanders, from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany S. 851]
The Committee on Veterans' Affairs (hereinafter, ``the
Committee''), to which was referred the bill (S. 851), to
extend to all veterans with a serious service-connected injury
eligibility to participate in the family caregiver services
program, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment, and recommends that the bill do pass.
Introduction
On April 25, 2013, Chairman Sanders introduced S. 851, the
proposed ``Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of 2013.''
S. 851 would expand a national program for the caregivers of
seriously injured veterans to provide them with a tax-free
monthly stipend, reimbursement for travel expenses, health
insurance, mental health services, counseling, training, and
respite care.
Committee Hearing
On May 9, 2013, the Committee held a hearing on pending
health care legislation, which included discussion of S. 851.
Testimony on S. 851 was offered by: Robert L. Jesse, MD, PhD,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Department of
Veterans Affairs; Rick Weidman, Executive Director for Policy
and Government Affairs, Vietnam Veterans of America; and
Heather Ansley, Esq., MSW, Vice President for Veterans Policy,
VetsFirst.
Committee Meeting
After carefully reviewing the testimony from the foregoing
hearing, the Committee met in open session on July 24, 2013, to
consider, among other legislation, S. 851. The Committee voted,
by voice vote, to report favorably S. 851 to the Senate.
Summary of S. 851 as Reported
S. 851 (hereinafter, ``the Committee bill'') would expand
the program of support for caregivers of seriously injured
veterans to caregivers of veterans of all eras.
Background and Discussion
In 2006, then-Ranking Member Daniel K. Akaka introduced S.
2753, to improve caregiver assistance services for veterans.
During the May 11, 2006, hearing on this legislation, Senator
Akaka stated, ``Ensuring caregivers have the support and tools
they need to care for their family members makes economic
sense, and more importantly, makes policy sense.'' Senator
Akaka's bill was included as part of legislation Congress
passed and the President signed into law--Public Law
(hereinafter, ``P.L.'') 109-461, the ``Veterans Benefits,
Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006.'' The law
authorized $5 million for each of the fiscal years 2007 and
2008 for the Department of Veterans Affairs (hereinafter,
``VA'') to carry out pilot caregiver assistance programs. VA
began 8 caregiver assistance pilot programs in October 2007.
The pilot programs provided a number of lessons learned,
including the need for a multi-modality approach, effective
communication, and caregiver education and support. According
to the report from VA to Congress required by P.L. 109-461,
``[r]espite is a key component of programs that reduced
caregiver stress and burden.'' The report also states many
``elements of the caregiver pilots can easily serve rural and
difficult to access populations,'' citing that ``caregiver
education, training, and support services do not require face-
to-face contact'' but can be provided through ``[w]eb based
training and resource information, telephone support groups,
and telehealth equipment.'' Overall, the pilots were found to
``result in a healthier caregiver, improved care for the
veteran and a better quality of life for both.''
In 2008, a 1-year extension of authority for these pilot
programs was approved in P.L. 110-387, the ``Veterans' Mental
Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008.'' Additionally,
the Senate approved S. 1963, the ``Caregivers and Veterans
Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009.'' At the time S. 1963 was
debated on the Senate floor, then-Chairman Akaka addressed
those Senators concerned about the cost of the legislation,
stating that ``we cannot renege on the obligation to care for
those who honorably serve our country. When we as a nation vote
to send American troops to war, we are promising to care for
them when they return. The cost of health care is a true cost
of war and must be treated as such.'' He went on to say, ``To
assert that this legislation requires excessive spending is
simply wrong. This spending is critical when taking into
account the sacrifices these men and women have made for the
nation.''
S. 1963 later became P.L. 111-163, the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (hereinafter,
``the Caregivers law''), on May 5, 2010. The law reduced the
burden faced by family caregivers of post-9/11 veterans by
providing them with a tax-free monthly stipend, reimbursement
for travel expenses, health insurance, mental health services
and counseling, training, and respite care. Since its inception
through July 2013, the law has helped more than 10,600 veteran
caregivers and their families.
The passage of the Caregivers law served as an important
step in ensuring the caregivers of our newest generation of
veterans received the resources necessary to provide the best
possible care for their loved ones. However, these benefits and
services were not made available to all veterans. Limiting
eligibility for the program to caregivers of post-9/11 veterans
created an inequity between caregivers of the newest generation
of veterans and the tens of thousands of hardworking, dedicated
caregivers who provide care to all other veterans. In September
2013, VA submitted to Congress the Expansion of Family
Caregiver Assistance Report, as required by the Caregivers law.
In this report, VA stated:
Expansion of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance
for Family Caregivers would remedy the inequity created
by the current statutory requirements, and would
further recognize the sacrifice of our Veterans from
all eras and the needs of their family caregivers. VA
believes, apart from resource issues that are discussed
below, such an expansion is operationally feasible.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that approximately
70,000 caregivers of pre-9/11 veterans could be eligible for
the expanded program.
The caregivers of veterans from other eras have spent
years, sometimes decades, caring for severely injured veterans.
While data related to the loss of income for veteran caregivers
is limited, studies highlighted by the Military Caregivers
report published by RAND in 2013 indicated approximately two-
thirds of caregivers with jobs reported missing work.\1\ The
other third are said to have reduced their hours due to their
caregiving responsibilities. These caregivers deserve the same
access to resources and services provided to caregivers of the
veterans from our country's most recent conflicts.
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\1\Tanielian, Terri, Rajeev Ramchand, Michael P. Fisher, Carra S.
Sims, Racine Harris, and Margaret C. Harrell. Military Caregivers:
Cornerstones of Support for Our Nation's Wounded, Ill, and Injured
Veterans. RAND Corporation, 2013.
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Paralyzed Veterans of America submitted a statement for the
record for the May 9, 2013, hearing on pending health
legislation noting:
No reasonable justification (other than cost
considerations) can be provided for why pre-9/11
veterans with a service-connected injury or illness
should be excluded from the comprehensive caregiver
program. Catastrophically disabled veterans needs are
not different simply because they may have been injured
prior to the selected date.
At the same hearing, Rick Weidman of Vietnam Veterans of
America observed:
Many Vietnam veterans are alive today because their
wives, or sisters, or other relatives have been taking
care of them for decades. Heretofore there was never
any recognition of the fact that these veterans would
either have had to enter into long term care or would
have been on the street if not for the extraordinary
efforts of these family caregivers. Either way the
additional cost to American society would have been
extremely large, whether in fiscal cost or the societal
cost of having many additional veterans among the
homeless.
The statements above attest to the importance of VA's
caregiver program and the value this program will have for
caregivers of pre-9/11 veterans. These statements also
highlight that access to the program should be determined based
on need, rather than the period of time the veteran served in
the Armed Forces.
Fully supporting caregiving activities not only ensures
equity of services and benefits available to the caregivers of
our most seriously injured veterans, it may also generate
future cost savings. Supporting caregiving activities now may
further enable veterans to remain at home rather than admitting
them to a more expensive institutional setting, such as a
nursing home. As described below, the cost of providing care in
an institutional setting can be significantly greater than the
cost of providing care in the home.
VA is obligated to provide nursing home care for veterans
who need such care and meet 1 of the following criteria: a
service-connected disability rating of seventy percent or more;
a need for nursing home care for a service-connected
disability; or a rating of sixty percent when either
unemployable or permanently and totally disabled. The
Department's fiscal year 2014 budget request included
$4,928,496,000 for long-term institutional care for the care of
an estimated 42,465 veterans per day. This amounts to an
average cost of $116,060 per veteran a year.
Receiving long-term care in the private sector, which is an
option for eligible veterans, is costly as well. According to a
survey conducted in 2012 by MetLife's Mature Market Institute,
the average cost of a private room in a nursing home in the
United States was $90,520 per year. In contrast, as of July
2013, the cost of the annual stipend of the Caregiver program,
the most expensive aspect of the program, is approximately
$18,203 per caregiver, nearly one-tenth the cost of
institutional long-term care.
Many family members are eager to give their veterans the
opportunity to receive care at home by serving as caregivers. A
study by the National Alliance for Caregivers (hereinafter,
``NAC'') in 2010 found seventy-eight percent of veteran
caregivers find their role fulfilling. However, the financial,
physical, and mental toll on these caregivers can be
substantial. According to a 2012 report by the Pew Research
Center, thirty percent of adults in the United States serve as
caregivers. A 2010 MetLife study, entitled ``Working Caregivers
and Employer Health Care Costs,'' found there is an 8-percent
difference in increased health care costs between caregiving
and non-caregiving employees. This same study also found
because stress can be an issue for caregivers, ``wellness
programs that offer stress-management seminars and stress-
reduction programs * * * can be helpful.'' The findings of this
report underscore the value of important services offered to
caregivers of post-9/11 veterans through VA's caregiver
program, which include training, counseling and respite--all of
which are important mechanisms to reduce stress--and health
care services, which can improve overall wellness.
The financial burdens on caregivers who leave the workforce
without financial assistance, such as a caregiver stipend, may
impact the ability of caregivers to obtain health insurance.
The report released by the NAC in 2010 noted caregivers of
veterans in households with incomes less than $50,000 have had
their retirement plans disproportionately impacted compared to
those with higher household incomes.
This point was emphasized in testimony submitted to the
Committee with respect to its May 9, 2013, hearing by the
Disabled American Veterans:
The critical care [caregivers] provide amounts to
significant personal sacrifice resulting in lost
professional opportunities and reduction in income.
Caregiving exacts a tremendous toll on that caregiver's
health and well-being.
Mental health concerns are often prevalent in the caregiver
population as well, because many do not have access to
supportive services. The NAC report also observed sixty-eight
percent of veteran caregivers describe being highly-stressed,
while another forty percent rate their physical strain as high
due to the demands of their job. The same report also indicated
caregivers of veterans in highly rural areas experience
episodes of depression more frequently than those in more urban
settings.
The Caregivers law has been both popular and successful. As
of July 2013, more than 10,600 caregivers have been approved
for the program. According to VA, approximately 500 new family
caregivers are being approved each month. These caregivers
received an average monthly stipend between $575 and $2,254.
Ninety-two percent of the approved caregivers are female,
seventy-four percent of them are spouses and fifteen percent
are parents. In addition, the majority of approved caregivers
are between the ages of 26 and 40.
Caregivers approved for the program have taken advantage of
many of the services available through VA. For example, the
National Caregiver Support Line, created through the Caregivers
law, received more than 85,000 calls, averaging over 150 calls
per day as of July 8, 2013. Additionally, as of that same date,
more than 125 caregivers had participated in the Peer Support
Mentoring Program. This program offers new caregivers the
opportunity to be paired with experienced caregivers in order
to share knowledge and skills and act as a support system.
Finally, in VA's report to Congress regarding the expansion
of family caregiver assistance services, VA acknowledged the
positive impact the program had on family caregivers and
veterans alike. The report noted,
Preliminary program outcomes for a small sample of
program participants suggest a statistically
significant decrease in the level of burden reported by
approved family caregivers three months after the
initial home visit. An initial review has also shown a
statistically significant decrease in average monthly
inpatient utilization by eligible Veterans
participating in the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers.
Based on its own assessment of the program, VA concluded:
Expanding the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for
Family Caregivers would allow equitable access to
seriously injured Veterans from all eras (who otherwise
meet the program's eligibility criteria) and their
approved family caregivers. In reality, countless
families across every generation have been caregivers.
Without compensation and with little support, these
caregivers have sacrificed much for their Veteran and
this Nation.
Committee Bill. The Committee bill would amend section
1720G of title 38, United States Code, by striking ``on or
after September 11, 2001,'' thus making the services and
benefits available to caregivers of veterans of all eras.
Removing this limitation would allow VA to waive the cost
of furnishing hospital care or medical services for caregivers
of veterans of all eras in emergency cases; authorize VA to pay
for the caregivers' lodging and subsistence, as well as the
expenses of travel to and from a treatment facility and
expenses for the duration of the veteran's treatment episode at
that facility; authorize VA to provide a tax-free monthly
stipend; and ensure caregivers of veterans of all eras will be
included in a national survey of family caregivers conducted in
collaboration between VA and the Department of Defense.
Committee Bill Cost Estimate
In compliance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee, based on
information supplied by the Congressional Budget Office
(hereinafter, ``CBO''), estimates that enactment of the
Committee bill would, relative to current law, increase
discretionary spending by $510 million in fiscal year 2014 and
by $9.5 billion over the 2014-2018 period, but would not affect
direct spending or revenues. Enactment of the Committee bill
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.
The cost estimate provided by CBO, setting forth a detailed
breakdown of costs, follows:
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, August 15, 2013.
Hon. Bernard Sanders,
Chairman,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 851, the Caregivers
Expansion and Improvement Act of 2013.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Ann E.
Futrell.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf,
Director.
Enclosure.
S. 851--Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of 2013
Summary: S. 851 would expand eligibility for the Family
Caregivers program administered by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA). CBO estimates that implementing the bill would
cost $9.5 billion over the 2014-2018 period, assuming
appropriation of the estimated amounts. Enacting S. 851 would
not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you
go procedures do not apply.
S. 851 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA).
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of S. 851 is shown in the following table. The
costs of this legislation fall within budget function 700
(veterans benefits and services).
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By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
------------------------------------------------
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2014-2018
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CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Estimated Authorization Level.................................. 571 1,436 2,502 2,610 2,720 9,839
Estimated Outlays.............................................. 510 1,337 2,375 2,577 2,693 9,492
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Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the
legislation will be enacted near the start of fiscal year 2014,
that the necessary amounts will be appropriated for each year,
and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for
similar and existing programs.
Under the Family Caregiver program, VA provides several
benefits (a stipend, health care, training, and respite care)
to caregivers of eligible veterans. Veterans who have a
service-connected disability incurred on or after September 11,
2001, and are in need of personal care services are eligible
for that program. S. 851 would expand the Family Caregiver
program to provide those same benefits to caregivers of all
such veterans, regardless of when they served.
Based on information from VA on the current level of
participation in the program, CBO estimates that under the bill
about 70,000 additional caregivers would become eligible for
the program. CBO further estimates that the expanded program
would be implemented gradually, with 17,000 caregivers
receiving stipends in 2014, growing to the full 70,000 by 2016.
Under the Family Caregiver program, a stipend is provided
to the veteran's primary caregiver. That stipend amount varies
based on the amount and the degree of care needed. For the
current program, benefits per primary caregiver total $25,000,
on average. CBO expects that this bill would open up the
caregiver program to an older population with greater need for
home assistance. As a result, CBO estimates higher average
costs of roughly $33,000 in 2014 (those costs would be adjusted
for inflation throughout the projection period). Thus, CBO
estimates that implementing S. 851 would cost $510 million in
2014 and $9.5 billion over the 2014-2018 period, assuming
appropriations of the necessary amounts.
Pay-As-You-Go Considerations: None.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 851
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would not affect the budgets of state,
local, or tribal governments.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Ann E. Futrell; Impact
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Lisa Ramirez-Branum;
Impact on the Private Sector: Elizabeth Bass.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has made an
evaluation of the regulatory impact that would be incurred in
carrying out S. 851. The Committee finds that S. 851 would not
entail any regulation of individuals or businesses or result in
any impact on the personal privacy of any individuals and that
the paperwork resulting from enactment would be minimal.
Tabulation of Votes Cast in Committee
In compliance with paragraph 7(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the following is a tabulation of
votes cast in person or by proxy by members of the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs at its July 24, 2013, meeting. On that date,
the Committee voted by voice vote to order reported S. 851, a
bill to extend to all veterans with a serious service-connected
injury eligibility to participate in the family caregiver
services program.
Agency Report
On September 11, 2013, Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, provided views on S. 851, among
other issues. An excerpt from the Department views is reprinted
below:
Enclosure
VA Views
* * * * * * *
S. 851, CAREGIVERS EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2013
The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of
2010, Public Law (P.L.) 111-163 (the Act), signed into law on
May 5, 2010, provided expanded support and benefits for
caregivers of eligible and covered Veterans. While the law
authorized certain support services for caregivers of covered
Veterans of all eras, other benefits under the Act were
authorized only for qualified family caregivers of eligible
Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the
line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. These new benefits
for approved family caregivers, provided under the Program of
Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, include a
monthly stipend paid directly to designated primary family
caregivers and medical care under CHAMPVA for designated
primary family caregivers who are not eligible for TRICARE and
not entitled to care or services under a health-plan contract.
S. 851, the Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of
2013, would remove ``on or after September 11, 2001'' from the
statutory eligibility criteria for the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers, and thereby expand
eligibility under such program to Veterans of all eras who
otherwise meet the applicable eligibility criteria.
Recently, VA sent a report to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives (House)
(required by Section 101(d) of the Act) on the feasibility and
advisability of such an expansion, as would be effected by S.
851. In that report, VA noted that expanding the Program of
Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers would allow
equitable access to seriously injured Veterans from all eras
(who otherwise meet the program's eligibility criteria) and
their approved family caregivers. VA also noted that families
across every generation have been caregivers who have
sacrificed much for their Veteran and this Nation.
In the report, VA noted difficulties with making reliable
projections of the cost impact of opening the Program of
Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to eligible
Veterans of all eras, but estimated a range of $1.8 billion to
$3.8 billion in FY 2014.
VA cannot responsibly provide a position in support of
expanding the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family
Caregivers without a realistic consideration of the resources
necessary to carry out such an expansion, including an analysis
of the future resources that must be available to fund other
core direct-to-Veteran health care services. This is especially
true as VA presses to buttress mental health services and
ensure the fullest possible access to care in rural areas. VA
is also mindful as we look ahead to the allocations for the
Veterans Benefits and Services functions in the Senate-passed
and House-passed FY 2014 budget resolutions (S. Con. Res. 8 and
H. Con. Res. 25, respectively).
We wish to make it very clear that VA believes an expansion
of those benefits that are limited by era of service would
result in equitable access to the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers for long-deserving caregivers
of those who have sacrificed greatly for our Nation. However,
VA cannot endorse this measure before further engaging with
Congress on these top-line fiscal constraints, within the
context of all of VA health care programs. VA welcomes further
discussion of these issues with the Committee.
* * * * * * *
MINORITY VIEWS OF RANKING MEMBER
HON. RICHARD BURR
I agree with my colleagues, in principal, on expanding the
Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Program;
however, this bill would cost $9.5 billion over five years and
the Majority has not identified an offset to pay for it. I
firmly believe that legislation we report out of the Committee
should include offsets but, more importantly, I believe we
should only expand programs that are fully implemented and
follow the intent of the law creating that program. In
addition, we need to make sure a program expansion will not
divert resources away from the Veterans Health Administration's
(VHA) principal duty--to provide health care to veterans.
The Caregivers Program, crafted by this Committee with
significant opposition from the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), was intentionally limited to veterans of the most recent
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As then-Chairman Akaka noted
during consideration of S. 1963 in the Senate, these benefits
and services were not made available to all veterans for three
reasons: ``[O]ne, the needs and circumstances of the newest
veterans in terms of the injuries are different--different--
from those of veterans from earlier eras; two, the family
situation of the younger veterans is different from that of
older veterans; and three, by targeting this initiative on a
specific group of veterans, the likelihood of a successful
undertaking is enhanced.'' I believe the most important of
those reasons was the belief that VA would not be able to
implement a program of this magnitude covering veterans from
all eras. Subsequently, VA has demonstrated that they have had
trouble implementing even the limited program. Their rollout
and management of the program has been flawed in several areas.
On May 5, 2011, VA published in the Federal Register an
Interim Final Rule for the Caregivers Program with comments due
to VA by July 5, 2011. However, more than two years after the
comment period has closed, VA has yet to publish a Final Rule
or formally address the comments received. Since the start of
the program two years ago, several problems have been brought
to my attention. Some examples of these problems are: decisions
determining eligibility for the program are inconsistent across
the country; VA has no quality assurance program to monitor the
quality, consistency, and timeliness of those decisions; and
there is no formal process to appeal the decisions of
eligibility for caregiver assistance.
Our responsibility to the taxpayer is to ensure the laws
enacted are implemented correctly, are working as Congress
envisioned, and will not divert resources away from VA's core
mission. As VA states in the Expansion of Family Caregivers
Assistance Program Report, submitted to Congress in
September 2013:
VA cannot responsibly advise the Congress on expansion
of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family
Caregivers without a realistic consideration of the
resources necessary to carry out that expansion, a
forward-looking analysis of resources that must be
available to fund core, direct-to-Veteran health care
services, and the ability to provide Veterans with
adequate access to those services.
The report also points out:
[E]ven using the lower of the range of projections for
the cost of expansion discussed above, VA believes that
under either the House-passed or Senate-passed budget
framework, expansion of the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers poses the risk of
compromising resources needed for its core Veteran
health care mission.
Before spending $9.5 billion to expand this program to
veterans of all eras, we need to ensure that VA is fulfilling
the intent of Congress in how they are administering the
current Caregivers Program. Expanding a flawed program now will
not only exacerbate the problems currently facing the program,
but could also draw financial resources away from other VHA
programs.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of Rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman).
Title 38. Veterans' Benefits
* * * * * * *
Part II. General Benefits
* * * * * * *
Chapter 17. Hospital, Nursing Home, Domiciliary, and Medical Care
* * * * * * *
Subchapter II. Hospital, Nursing Home, or Domiciliary Care and Medical
Treatment
* * * * * * *
SEC. 1720G. ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CAREGIVERS.
(a) Program of comprehensive assistance for family
caregivers.
(1)(A) The Secretary shall establish a program of
comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of
eligible veterans.
(B) The Secretary shall only provide support under
the program required by subparagraph (A) to a family
caregiver of an eligible veteran if the Secretary
determines it is in the best interest of the eligible
veteran to do so.
(2) For purposes of this subsection, an eligible
veteran is any individual who--
(A) is a veteran or member of the Armed
Forces undergoing medical discharge from the
Armed Forces;
(B) has a serious injury (including traumatic
brain injury, psychological trauma, or other
mental disorder) incurred or aggravated in the
line of duty in the active military, naval, or
air service [on or after September 11, 2001];
and
* * * * * * *