CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A bill co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire would strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs’ caregiver program. The VA provides stipends and support to caregivers for wounded veterans. To be eligible, veterans must have sustained or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001; caregivers can include family members or other members of the veteran’s support group. Caregivers and veterans have reported being dropped from the program, often with little explanation or time to appeal the decision, Hassan said. The Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for (TEAM) Veteran Caregivers Act would ensure all caregivers are included in veterans’ medical records; require the VA to provide more context and explanation leading to a downgrade or termination decisions; and extend benefits for at least 90 days after a termination letter is sent for cases when a veteran is deemed “no longer clinically eligible” for the program. Hassan, a Democrat, has cosponsored the bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, and Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee.
Source: Bill would help wounded veterans and their caregivers
