A bipartisan bill that would ensure that families of service members diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) receive critical assistance is now before Congress.
The Justice for ALS Veterans Act removes a key bureaucratic barrier that has so far prevented many families of ALS-diagnosed service members from receiving certain benefits.
“The spouse or family of a veteran with ALS should never be denied assistance, but that’s precisely what our current policy does,” said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) “This is a straight-forward reform to existing law that will have a tremendous impact on the loved ones of veterans who have been diagnosed with this awful disease. This bill targets ALS cases directly, finally removing a bureaucratic barrier so surviving families may receive the vital benefits and support they deserve.”
Studies have shown that veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population, according to a release from Slotkin. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers an additional benefit to spouses and families of veterans who have died due to a service-related illness, but only in cases where the veteran was disabled for eight years prior to their death. The life expectancy of a patient with ALS is two to five years, meaning families of these patients rarely receive the benefit.
The legislation removes the eight-year minimum in ALS cases and extends benefits to surviving spouses and families regardless of the length of diagnosis.
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“Denying benefits to the surviving spouses of ALS veterans because they were unable to survive long enough to meet an arbitrary timeline is a disservice to the veteran community and their families,” said Heather Ansley, associate executive director for government relations, Paralyzed Veterans of America.
The bipartisan bill is co-led by Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
“ALS is a brutal disease that affects thousands of Americans each year, including those who have served our nation in uniform,” said Fitzpatrick.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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