{"id":69699,"date":"2022-03-23T21:26:35","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T21:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/23\/va-caregiver-program-needs-total-overhaul-as-problems-mount-advocates-say\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:10:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:10:58","slug":"va-caregiver-program-needs-total-overhaul-as-problems-mount-advocates-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2022\/03\/23\/va-caregiver-program-needs-total-overhaul-as-problems-mount-advocates-say\/","title":{"rendered":"VA caregiver program needs total overhaul as problems mount, advocates say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans Affairs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/03\/06\/families-fear-financial-hit-as-va-caregiver-program-prepares-to-drop-thousands-of-vets\/\" target=\"_blank\">caregiver support programs<\/a> need a significant overhaul to correct deep-seated flaws within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2022\/03\/22\/plan-to-drop-thousands-of-caregivers-from-veterans-affairs-support-program-put-on-hold\/\" target=\"_blank\">current operations<\/a>, veterans advocates told lawmakers Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A day after department leaders promised to halt all program dismissals amid criticism of new eligibility rules, a coalition of caregiver groups testified before the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee that they are optimistic that real changes are on the way, but emphasized it will require more than just new rules and regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUnless VA prioritizes getting veterans and caregivers into the program and not out of it, the problems will persist,\u201d said Jim Marszalek, national service director for Disabled American Veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVA must replace the current eligibility regulations and create new standards that are clear, consistent and equitable. And VA must provide detailed explanations on how standards will be measured and applied in each decision notification that is sent to veterans and caregivers.\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\/2022\/03\/22\/plan-to-drop-thousands-of-caregivers-from-veterans-affairs-support-program-put-on-hold\/\" 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=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Presser1.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\">Plan to drop thousands of caregivers from Veterans Affairs program put on hold<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The move is a stunning turnaround for the department, which for months has maintained the moves are necessary.<\/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\">Over the past six months, officials with the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers have been reviewing \u201clegacy\u201d participants \u2014 individuals admitted before October 2020 \u2014 to ensure they meet new eligibility criteria written three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department had estimated that as many as one-third of the nearly 20,000 legacy participants could be dropped from the program. But on Tuesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough acknowledged that number was \u201cmuch higher\u201d than anticipated, with thousands more families on track to lose access to monthly caregiver stipends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In light of those elevated rejection rates, McDonough halted all dismissals from the program and promised a full review in coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, a full-time caregiver tending to a veteran who is \u201cunable to self-sustain in the community\u201d can receive the full monthly stipend, while a caretaker for a vet with lesser but still life-altering limitations can receive a partial payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The totals vary based on where veterans live, but generally hover around $3,000 a month for the full Level 2 stipend and $1,800 for the partial Level 1 stipend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advocates have said for months that new standards put in place by officials are overly confusing and restricting, labeling veterans with severe service injuries as self-sufficient even though they require around-the-clock caregiver support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Caira Benson, a full-time caregiver to her veteran husband, Eric, said that her family has been dropped and added from the program multiple times in recent years, despite Eric\u2019s brain injuries only worsening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCongress created this program to assist caregivers like me whose spouses need substantial care,\u201d she told lawmakers. \u201cIt should have been a blessing. However, the program has become unpredictable, stressful and, frankly, dehumanizing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA Assistant Under Secretary for Health Beth Taylor promised improvements in the future. She said officials plan to meet with advocates next month to start reviewing eligibility rules, with an eye towards changing them in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have our commitment to guide this support program to be the preeminent program in the industry on caregiving,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colleen Richardson, executive director of the VA Caregiver Support Program, acknowledged the grief families are experiencing because of the changes and promised \u201cwe will get this right.\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\/2022\/03\/06\/families-fear-financial-hit-as-va-caregiver-program-prepares-to-drop-thousands-of-vets\/\" 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\">Families fear financial hit as VA caregiver program prepares to drop thousands of vets<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Advocates say new eligibility requirements will exclude veterans in need of full-time care.<\/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\">But Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, said the only way to do that may be \u201cto start over\u201d instead of looking for partial fixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think that VA, Congress, the major stakeholder groups, all need to be put in a room for as many days as it takes us to bring these caregivers\u2019 stories forward, to bring these experiences forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI know there are folks in the VA who want to get this right \u2026 but it\u2019s time to go back to the fundamentals and redraw the lines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarah Verardo, CEO of the Independence Fund and herself a caregiver for her severely injured husband, Mike, said the entire caregiver community is frustrated from the chaos of the last few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis program needs to be fixed immediately,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we are going through in our households with the veterans for whom we provide care for, it is demoralizing. It is embarrassing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m here begging you to help fight for all of us, because we\u2019ve been fighting for each other and for our veterans for a long time, and we are exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veterans Affairs\u2019 caregiver support programs need a significant overhaul to correct deep-seated flaws within current operations, veterans advocates told lawmakers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":104352,"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":[101,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-69699","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":"WPWVHOASERBHTHTPUFFRZZDPVI","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2022\/03\/23\/va-caregiver-program-needs-total-overhaul-as-problems-mount-advocates-say\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA caregiver program needs total overhaul as problems mount, advocates say - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veterans Affairs\u2019 caregiver support programs need a significant overhaul to correct deep-seated flaws within current operations, veterans advocates told lawmakers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA caregiver program needs total overhaul as problems mount, advocates say\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Veterans Affairs\u2019 caregiver support programs need a significant overhaul to correct deep-seated flaws within current 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