Bill would give vets more access to long-term care facilities

A bipartisan pair of senators on Monday introduced a bill that would allow veterans greater access to long-term care centers in their communities.

The Veterans Access to Extended Care Act — sponsored by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — gives the Veterans Affairs Department the authority to do away with reporting requirements that often block veterans from being able to receive care at local extended service providers, such as nursing centers, adult day health care, respite care and home health care.  

{mosads}“Family, friends and community serve as a vital support network throughout our lives, and our veterans should not be forced to choose between being near their loved ones and accessing the care they need,” Hoeven said in a statement.

The proposed measure “will make more options available to our former service members who need long-term care services. That means better access to the benefits they have earned and a higher quality of life in their later years,” he added.

Veterans “should not have to worry about being denied care solely because of burdensome federal VA contracting requirements,” according to Manchin.

The pair claimed that, because of the reporting rules, only 15 out of 80 nursing homes in North Dakota and only 20 percent of nursing homes in West Virginia currently contract with the VA.

A companion bill was introduced in the House by Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).