The U.S. House of Representatives on December 16 approved the Senate-passed version of S. 141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by the President.

The final version passed the House with a strong bipartisan majority after the Senate unanimously approved the bill with minor changes three days earlier. In addition to comprehensive updates that focus on mental and behavioral health supports, education and training programs, and benefit reforms, the bill contains important long-term care provisions that will enable LeadingAge members to better serve veterans across the country.

The measure will establish a pilot program through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer assisted living options for aging and disabled veterans. It will also allow the VA to spend more money on community-based care by increasing the threshold available for these services from 65% to 100% of the cost of providing nursing home care. The bill will require the Undersecretary of Health to conduct a review of each program administered by the Office of Geriatric and Extended Care and the Caregiver Support Program Office to ensure consistency in program management, eliminate service gaps at medical centers, ensure availability of and access to home and community care-based services, and to ensure proper coordination. The legislation will also require the VA Secretary to enter into agreements with PACE programs if there is one operating where an eligible veteran is seeking services, a significant change from the current policy where PACE is only optional.

LeadingAge has been working with its coalition partners to advance these policy priorities and applauds Congressional passage of this bill to improve veterans’ access to critical long-term services and supports.