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Hudson Urges Action on Veteran Caregiver Legislation as Program Expands to Pre-9/11 Veterans

October 1, 2020
WASHINGTON, N.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg's Congressman and sponsor of the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act, is urging passage of his legislation as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers is expanding eligibility to include veterans injured before 9/11. This expansion was included as part of the VA MISSION Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in June, 2018.
Rep. Hudson applauded this expansion, but said further improvements are still needed.
"While this expansion is a great step forward, the rest of the recently finalized rule fell short of correcting additional issues within the Caregiver program. That's why I'm calling on Congress to pass my Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act," said Rep. Hudson. "Disabled veterans and caregivers already have enough to worry about and it's time we made sure the program was easy to use and worked for them."
Image removed.
Rep. Hudson meets with a veteran caregiver during a
press conference on the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act.
Watch Rep. Hudson's video on the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance
for Family Caregivers by clicking the image above.
Rep. Hudson introduced H.R. 5701, the Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act, on Jan. 30, 2020. The legislation extends stipend payments and access to health insurance for caregivers to 180 days after the death of a veteran, up from the current 90 days. It eliminates the unnecessary re-application requirements for veterans who require the most significant levels of care and allows for permanent eligibility that gives caregivers peace of mind. The bill also standardizes the evaluation process for determining eligibility to give veterans and caregivers consistency when applying for the program.
In July, Rep. Hudson held a virtual town hall with bill co-sponsor Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-04) to speak with veteran and caregiver organizations about the bill and urged caregivers and veterans to encourage Members of Congress to advance the legislation.
Previously, he hosted a roundtable discussion at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury to engage the military caregiver community, determine how the VA Caregiver Program can be improved, and ensure the needs of veterans and their caregivers are met. The Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act incorporates a number of the ideas discussed at the roundtable.
Those interested in learning more about the Caregiver program can visit Hudson.house.gov/veterans.
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Issues:Veterans