Greenville Reporter

On July 10 , Representatives Don Davis (NC-01),Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Veterans Caregiver Application and Appeals Reform (CARE) Act of 2023. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced the Senate version last month.

The bill would improve the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), also known as the Caregivers Program, by allowing Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and other accredited agents to advocate for disabled veterans and by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to employ qualified medical specialists to evaluate applications and provide more detailed information in denial letters. 

These legislative fixes represent a meaningful improvement to the Caregivers Program, which many veterans have argued does not currently have the resources or transparency necessary to provide applicants with the assistance they deserve. The burden of applying for PCAFC should not fall on servicemembers who sustained injuries in the line of duty; rather, advocates should be able to guide our wounded heroes through the often complex and elusive application and appeals process.

“The last thing our veterans should have to worry about is filling out paperwork,” said Representative Davis. “We can and must allow the men and women who nearly died for this country to access the resources necessary to apply for assistance through the Caregivers Program. This bipartisan, bicameral bill is one step towards fulfilling this country’s promise to our heroes in Eastern North Carolina and across the country.”

“As a geriatric nurse practitioner who has had the privilege of caring for members of our Greatest Generation, I know just how important the VA Caregiver Program is in the lives of our nation’s heroes and how important it is to get information about this program to those who need it most,” said Representative Kiggans. “I’m proud to join Congressman Davis in introducing this bipartisan, bicameral bill to make improvements to the program and ensure veterans have access to the best care possible.”

“Our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our country, deserve top-of-the-line care, especially when it comes to injuries they suffered from their time in uniform,” said Representative Ciscomani. “The Care Act expands and improves the existing Caregiver Program to further support our veterans and their caregivers, ensuring our veterans receive the best treatment possible.”

“VA has made solid progress in expanding access to the Caregivers Program, but we’ve got to keep moving the ball forward on getting more veterans and caregivers the support they earned and deserve,” said Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Our bipartisan, bicameral bill is key to this effort and will increase oversight to help deliver a more user-friendly and transparent Program. This is one of my top priorities as Chairman, and I’ll keep working with VA and stakeholders to make sure the program is accessible for veterans and caregivers in Montana and across the country.”

“Congress created the caregiver program to provide critical assistance to our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Senator Braun. “The CARE Act makes improvements to the program to ensure that veterans have access to the best care possible.”

"We applaud Congressman Don Davis' (NC-1) recent introduction of the CARE Act of 2023 in the House,” said Andrea Sawyer, Advocacy Director for the Quality of Life Foundation. “Like its Senate companion, if enacted, this legislation will greatly enhance the VA Caregivers Program. By requiring the input of relevant medical specialists during the evaluation process, this legislation will help to ensure that those with brain injuries and mental health disorders are duly considered.”

“For too long, veterans and caregivers have struggled to access the programs and services available through the Veterans Health Administration. The groundbreaking provision requiring the Secretary to develop a process by which qualified non-profit organizations would be trained and recognized by the Department to assist veterans and caregivers as they attempt to navigate the complex agency will open new avenues for collaboration to better help those in need."  

"We are one step closer to an important milestone, as the CARE Act is introduced in the House, following its introduction in the Senate last month," said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. "This legislation brings important rigor and transparency to the evaluation and decision notification process for VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). It also provides a pathway for accredited organizations to assist veterans with PCAFC applications and mandates rigorous reporting on Caregiver Program utilization. The CARE Act addresses a number of concerns veteran caregivers share with us at the Foundation every day and we thank Representative Davis and all Members of Congress who support this bill for prioritizing veteran caregivers."

“VA’s Program of Comprehensive Support for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is a critical resource for many veterans and their caregivers throughout the country,” said Wounded Warrior Project Vice President for Government and Community Relations Jose Ramos. The CARE Act will make important improvements to the program by increasing operational transparency, ensuring that relevant medical specialists are included in the care evaluation process, and leveraging community-based resources that can help veterans and caregivers better navigate the VA health system.  We appreciate Congressman Davis’ and Congresswoman Kiggans’ bipartisan leadership on this issue and look forward to seeing the CARE Act passed into law.”

Original source can be found here.