The Department of Veterans Affairs is halting dismissals from its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
Deputy VA Secretary Donald Remy made the announcement Tuesday during VA Secretary Denis McDonough’s monthly press conference.
“We recognized that there are a multitude of limitations that hinder our efforts to ensure that veterans and their caregivers get the benefits they need through the program of comprehensive assistance,” he said.
Originally for post-9/11 veterans and their caregivers, Congress mandated that the program be expanded to cover Vietnam and earlier era veterans by late last year. By October, it is mandated to include seriously injured combat veterans of all eras.
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The VA was required to reassess the eligibility of current participants as a result of the program’s expansion. That assessment left more than 6,700 ineligible for the program’s monthly stipend, ranging from $1,750 to $3,000 per month.
“As we complemented those reassessments, it has become evident that there were some unintended consequences in the way the regulations were written,” Remy said.
He noted that while 28% of new applicants to the program are approved, there are veterans with moderate to severe caregiving needs who are unable to be admitted to or remain in the program as the regulations are currently written. That means a vast majority of the decisions exclude veterans and caregivers from the program.
“We must have consistent, reliable and understandable rationale for the decisions that we make and clear next steps for the veterans if they choose to appeal a decision they disagree with,” Remy said. “We must keep this simple for our veterans and their caregivers so they can get the care and the resources they need.”
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“We must continue to expand the program so we can take care of the caregivers who need us most,” he added.
Remy said the department is committed to completing legacy applicants and participant reassessments by October. He added that cutting thousands of veterans from the program is not something the VA wants to do.
“That’s not what the veterans and caregivers need from us,” he said. “We’ve tried to get to yes wherever we can and to err on the side of the veteran and the caregiver when rendering decisions along the way.”
Remy said the program’s regulations may need to be revisited to ensure they can be implemented as originally intended while outlining the program’s next steps.
“We are, as promised, going to expand the program to veterans of all service eras on Oct. 1, 2022,” he pledged. “We are going to complete those legacy reassessments and based on those evaluations any caregiver eligible for an increase in caregiver benefits will receive that increase.”
Remy also stressed that no one will be removed from the program or have any support they receive decreased before the current eligibility criteria are re-examined.
“We are going to re-assess this caregiver program eligibility criteria because we must do that,” he said. “We’re going to continue to gather feedback from all our stakeholders.”
McDonough said there is no time frame for the re-examination.
“It could take a year, it could take longer than a year, but we’re going through the process to make sure our eligibility criteria are consistent with the intent of the law,” he said.
McDonough added that following the re-examination, the program “will look different, it will feel different and the result will be different for those caregivers and those veterans.”
The announcement was quickly applauded by veteran services organizations. Elizabeth Dole Foundation CEO Steve Schwab noted that over the past six months the foundation has held numerous discussions with VA over the future of the program.
“We are proud of the veteran caregivers who worked with us to share their stories, engage with VA leadership and speak to their elected representatives because it worked,” he said in a statement.
In a statement, Disabled American Veterans said VA must develop new eligibility criteria and re-evaluation requirements that focus on getting veterans and caregivers into the program and not out of it.
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“VA’s program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers has been a lifeline for tens of thousands, but the unacceptably high rate of denials into and discharges from the program based on new eligibility criteria has been deeply troubling,” read the DAV’s statement.
Remy also called the 2022 budget deal signed into law by President Joe Biden “great news” for the veterans the agency serves.
“It means VA can continue delivering the world-class timely care and benefits that our veterans deserve,” he said.
McDonough said the VA is celebrating Women’s History Month by honoring the women veterans who have defended the nation’s freedom in every conflict since the Revolutionary War.
“I say to each women veteran out there, we at VA see you and we are here for you,” he added.
He urged women vets to visit here or email 00w@va.gov to learn more about how the department stands ready to serve them.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.