Latest news with #DoleAct
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
VA to extend caregiver support to ‘legacy veterans'? Here's what we know
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it would extend eligibility for its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to more "legacy" veterans and their caregivers. This change is expected to help thousands of people who served before 2001, according to a Newsweek report. The Department of Veterans Affairs would extend eligibility for its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers .(Representative Image: Pexels) The VA is the second-largest federal department and employs about 470,000 people, including many veterans. The VA provides benefits to about 6.2 million veterans. Also Read: Major changes to veterans benefits: Key updates and what they mean About VA's new extension to caregiver support In a statement, the VA said, 'The new rule will extend program eligibility for legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers for three years while VA continues the rulemaking process to refine the program. The extension will ensure that legacy participants and applicants can maintain their benefits and stability during this time.' Legacy participants are veterans, service members, and their caregivers who were in the program as of September 30, 2020. Legacy applicants are those who applied before October 1, 2020, and were accepted on or after October 1, 2020. The VA said this move will close gaps in support and help provide ongoing care for those already approved under older rules. The agency also said it will make reassessments easier and cut paperwork for caregivers. Veteran organizations welcomed the news. The VA also said there would be a temporary increase in burial benefits for certain veterans and their families, thanks to the Dole Act. This law lets eligible veterans get their burial costs fully covered for a limited time, as per reports. Also Read: Veterans Affairs Department reverses mass layoff plans; Here's what prompted the U-turn Changes due to Trump's recent budget bill Veterans will also see some changes because of President Donald Trump's recent budget bill. Veterans' programs have usually had strong support from both parties and have been getting more funding over time. The new budget adds $83 billion more than last year, mostly for medical care and benefits. House Republicans have proposed a $453 billion budget for the VA for 2026. This bill keeps the main benefits for veterans, but it also includes changes that could affect how some services are given and paid for. New spending, from a big bill passed by the House in May, comes as the VA deals with possible staff cuts, which led to protests across the country. The bill also includes new policies about reproductive health, guns, and vaccines, which could change how people use VA services. VA Secretary Doug Collins said, "Legacy caregivers have helped shape VA's Caregiver Support Program for many years. This decision underscores VA's commitment to Veterans and caregivers across the nation and will help provide consistency and stability to nearly 15,000 legacy participants for years to come."
Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
VA Announces Expansion of Benefits
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a temporary expansion of burial benefits for certain veterans and their families. Recipients will see a temporary expansion of burial benefits thanks to the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, known as the Dole Act. The department has been contacted via email for comment. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins pictured in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins pictured in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images Why It Matters The VA is the second-largest U.S. government department, employing about 470,000 people, a quarter of whom are veterans. Some 6.2 million veterans in the United States receive disability benefits from the VA. Veterans who received VA healthcare were not always eligible for a VA-covered burial, resulting in families having to cover the costs after their deaths. This benefit from the Dole Act will mean eligible veterans will have their full burial costs covered. This temporary expansion of burial benefits comes as the department reduces its headcount as part of the Trump administration's program to downsize the federal government - although by much less than originally planned. The VA had planned to reduce its workforce to 400,000, but after much criticism last week announced it would shed fewer than 30,000 jobs this year. Some 12,000 staff will leave their roles by the end of September, after 17,000 job cuts were made between January and June. The department says it has "multiple safeguards in place to ensure these staff reductions do not impact veteran care or benefits." What To Know "The new law specifies eligible Veterans are those who are discharged from VA-provided medical or nursing care to receive VA-provided hospice care at their home and who pass away between July 1, 2025, and Oct. 1, 2026," said the VA in a statement. "Previously, Veterans who died at home under VA hospice care after discharge from VA-provided medical or nursing care were not always eligible for a full VA burial allowance. The Dole Act addresses that gap." The Dole Act was signed into law in January 2025 by then-President Joe Biden. Following its passage, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Republican Illinois Representative Mike Bost said: "The men and women who have served have earned access to a VA that puts them – not government bureaucracy – at the center of its operations. The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act will do exactly that." The act includes several increases and changes to veterans' benefits, including changing the definition of "surviving spouse" to "someone who lived continuously with the veteran until their death and who has not remarried," and requiring the VA to create a plan for creating transitional housing grants for homeless veterans. Trump administration changes to the VA include barring transgender veterans from getting their fertility treatment covered by the VA, and increasing the VA budget by $83 billion through the recent budget. What People Are Saying VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a press release: "VA is working hard to fully implement the many provisions of the Dole Act. We're excited to offer this expanded benefit, which better supports Veterans who choose to spend their final days at home, surrounded by their loved ones." What Happens Next Families and caregivers are encouraged to contact their local VA office to determine eligibility and to apply for the expanded burial benefits. Additional details are available on the VA burial benefits website or by calling 800-827-1000.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
The VA Has the People—Now It Needs the Infrastructure
Commentary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stands alone in purpose and scale—tasked with caring for millions who've served. For all its significance, the VA is hobbled by a truth no one in Washington wants to say: it was built for the last century, not this one. The cracks are deeply human. A Marine needs to see a cardiologist. The nearest hospital has openings, but he's routed to a facility hours away. Across the country, a doctor has openings but no way to reach patients. In the private sector, gaps like these would raise alarms. At the VA, it's all too common. Committed professionals fill the ranks, but even the best can't outrun the system around them. The VA's regional structure is a patchwork of networks, each with its own priorities and patchy methods to move care where it's needed most. A VA schedulers navigate legacy platforms, often unable to see the full network of available providers. And clinicians, trained for everything from combat trauma to mental health, are caught in a system where access depends more on geography than on need. Washington's answer? Spend more or cut deeper. Related Stories 5/18/2025 5/16/2025 The latest budget sets a goal to reduce the VA workforce by The data's there. What's missing is the ability to read it, act on it, and move the supply of care dynamically. Today, some facilities are crowded, others underused, and too often, they're miles apart. The capacity exists yet goes untapped without the infrastructure to shift care across regions, professionals, or venues. Private health systems faced a similar reckoning. They now use data to anticipate patient demand and surface availability across markets. Scheduling a quick check-up is a tap away online. Kaiser Permanente built a national virtual care network, offering round-the-clock care by phone, video, or email —no in-person visit required. What's stopping the VA from creating a single virtual network where a doctor in Arizona can meet the needs of a veteran in Florida? For years, the solution to access gaps was to expand referrals outside the system. The MISSION Act opened more doors through Community Care. By 2022, But even with more options, delays persist. In 2023, veterans referred to outside providers waited, on average, The fix starts with strengthening the VA's digital foundation. Healthcare now generates nearly The same approach can restore the VA by reactivating capacity and rebuilding trust with veterans. But that demands more than austerity measures, as real innovation builds smarter and connects what's already there to create a network that's digital and borderless. The Dole Act—recently signed into law—gives the VA Secretary the runway to build a plan that books appointments during the first call, aims for same-day access, and puts veteran preferences at the center of every decision. The law gives the new administration a concrete target to move on and upgrade how veterans get care. VA Secretary Doug Collins . No more wasted capacity. No more isolated regions. No more digital vacuums swallowing up care. The VA has the scale and people. Now, it needs the infrastructure—and the will—to deliver. From Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
