The House of Representatives approved legislation on Monday that was authored by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to support family caregivers of military veterans.
The Support Our Military Act, H.R. 3989, would reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Family Caregiver Program to better support family members of wounded veterans.
“Military caregivers are loved ones who selflessly care for our nation’s heroes behind the scenes to enhance their everyday lives,” Stefanik said. “Thankfully, the Family Caregiver Program, implemented in 2011, was designed to ensure caregivers were not forgotten. My bill would guarantee that those who dedicate their lives as caregivers receive the support they so desperately need and they so desperately deserve.”
The VA initially estimated that 4,500 family caregivers would be approved to receive support through the Family Caregiver Program, but there have been 15,600 approvals and another 14,800 applications are awaiting review.
The Support Our Military Act would direct the VA to contract with a third party in order to streamline claims and to reduce the caregiver backlog.
“Application deadlines are not being met by their own internal standards and the staff is still shorthanded,” Stefanik said. “This bill would ensure that military caregivers have access to an objective third party to conduct clinical reviews in the event of an appeal. It also ensures that the process is transparent so that our veterans and caregivers are never left with an unanswered question.”
U.S. Rep. David Young (R-IA) applauded passage of the Support Our Military Act, which he cosponsored.
“Our service members have made great sacrifices in defense of our freedoms, and when our wounded return home and need care, they deserve the best available,” Young said. “It’s critical our military caregivers – who have sometimes altered their lives to take care of these American heroes – have needed resources and support too.”