{"id":51617,"date":"2019-05-29T11:54:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T11:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/29\/falling-enrollment-in-vas-caregiver-program-raises-concerns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:57:08","slug":"falling-enrollment-in-vas-caregiver-program-raises-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2019\/05\/29\/falling-enrollment-in-vas-caregiver-program-raises-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Falling enrollment in VA\u2019s caregiver program raises concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Veterans Affairs officials prepare for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/05\/23\/massive-veterans-policy-bill-heads-to-trumps-desk-but-results-will-take-time\/\" target=\"_blank\">massive expansion of caregiver stipends <\/a>later this year, lawmakers are expressing concern that the department still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2017\/04\/18\/va-halts-changes-to-caregiver-stipends-pending-a-full-program-review\/\" target=\"_blank\">can\u2019t administer the current program properly<\/a>, leaving many participating families confused and frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new analysis from the office of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., found that more than 30 percent of individuals enrolled in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/2018\/09\/12\/va-establishes-new-research-center-focused-on-caregivers\/\" target=_blank> VA\u2019s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers<\/a> have dropped out of the system over the last two years, a figure she calls \u201cdisturbing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program provides several thousands of dollars a months to some families caring for veterans who served after 9\/11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last eight years, VA officials have approved more than 40,000 caregiver applications, but only 19,295 were actively participating in the program at the start of April this year. In eight states \u2014 Hawaii, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont \u2014 enrollment has dropped by more than half since the start of 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, VA officials disputed those figures, saying the data \u201cincludes many intervals of care, including approvals and\/or removals and multiple caregiver assignments over time for the same veteran, so it\u2019s not the best measure of program participation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/03\/19\/vas-caregiver-program-losing-top-official-at-a-critical-moment\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2009286.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">VA\u2019s caregiver program losing top official at a critical moment<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Veterans groups worry that a planned expansion of the caregiver stipend set for this fall may be delayed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They noted that of the 8,000-plus individuals who have been removed from the program since 2017, nearly one-third have been voluntary withdrawals. The total of disenrolled veterans also includes individuals who have been institutionalized or passed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie ordered a moratorium on clinical eligibility discharges and reductions in benefits levels for participants in the caregiver program after reports of numerous families being improperly booted from the program. VA spokesman Curt Cashour said that order remains in effect today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Murray praised that move but remains unconvinced that it solved all the problems with veterans falling out of the program, asserting that the new figures raise \u201cmany serious questions about how the VA is working to ensure the caregivers program is ready to serve even more of our veterans by the upcoming deadline\u201d this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One segment of the veteran population that hasn\u2019t been served under this program are older veterans, a point of tension since it became law in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, as part of the VA Mission Act, lawmakers included a phased entry into the program for those older generations. Starting this fall, veterans who sustained a serious military-related injury before May 7, 1975, will be eligible for the payouts. All remaining veterans are scheduled to become eligible in fall 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The staggered expansion is designed to minimize disruption on the system. Officials estimate expansion could grant monthly stipends to more than 41,000 new veteran families in coming years, more than double the current number of stipend recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But last week, during a House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing on the topic, lawmakers from both parties questioned whether VA\u2019s information technology systems would be ready for the fall deadline, and whether the department has learned from past problems with the caregiver program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn 2014, the (Government Accountability Office) released a report highlighting the degree of ineptitude of the IT system supporting the caregiver program and recommended VA pursue a replacement system,\u201d said Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., and chairwoman of the committee\u2019s health panel. \u201cFive years later, nothing has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/04\/11\/here-are-12-big-changes-veterans-caregivers-will-see-in-the-next-year\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_677249654013.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Here are 12 big changes veterans caregivers will see in the next year<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Veterans Affairs officials have agreed to a set of recommendations from a special advisory group designed to improve caregiver services and support.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several other panel members questioned whether the expansion could overwhelm and collapse the current system. VA officials promised they are working on solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans Health Administration Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health Steven Lieberman told the committee he is confident the department will meet the fall deadline for expansion but \u201cwe will not expand the program until we are certain that our obligations for eligible veterans and caregivers are met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Murray, who has been a vocal advocate of the program in recent years, promised close oversight to ensure more families benefits aren\u2019t disrupted. Full certification of the new information technology program and the expansion to the next group of caregivers is scheduled for Oct. 1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A major expansion of the stipend program is scheduled for this fall, but lawmakers worry VA officials won&#8217;t be ready for it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":88226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,23,93,12,25,68,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3334],"class_list":["post-51617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"2S2MIWI56NAL7G5NB2VV6ZKXOQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/05\/29\/falling-enrollment-in-vas-caregiver-program-raises-concerns\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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