Washington D.C. – After significant pressure from the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and other members of Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the revised plan to expand the support available to caregivers of severely disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans yesterday afternoon. 

In response to the latest developments, Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, stated, “I’m pleased that VA went back to the drawing board like we asked and has returned to us with a plan that appears to be more in line with the intent of the law initially passed by Congress. I look forward to hearing how this program, once fully implemented, is able to improve the quality of life of  veterans wounded in the line of duty and their caregivers – people like Sarah and Ted Wade.  I am optimistic about the future of this program, but will continue to examine the interim final rule in more detail to make sure that VA delivers on its promises.”

The Caregiver and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act (P.L. 111-163) was originally designed to provide assistance to family caregivers of severely injured veterans. The law, which passed the Senate and House of Representatives unanimously, was originally intended to provide benefits to caregivers such as health care, support, counseling and a stipend from VA.  When VA initially wrote guidelines for implementation of the bill, too few veterans qualified for these benefits.

Sarah Wade and her husband, Ted, both from North Carolina, have been vocal advocates for this program. To read more about their story, please click here.

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