Rep. Zeldin's Veterans Adult Day Health Care Bill Passes out of Committee

Press Release

On May 18, 2016, Congressman Lee Zeldin's (R, NY-1) legislation to expand care for disabled veterans (H.R. 2460) unanimously passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee with strong bipartisan support.

Congressman Zeldin's bill, H.R. 2460, would expand disabled veterans' access to Adult Day Health Care; a daily program for disabled veterans who need extra assistance and special attention in their day to day lives. Service members who are 70% or more disabled from a service connected injury often require significant assistance from others in order to carry out basic everyday tasks. Many times the burden falls on family members of disabled veterans; some veterans may even need to reside in institutionalized facilities to receive the daily assistance of a trained medical professional. Both of these options can create financial and emotional hardships. One program that is currently available to help disabled veterans is Adult Day Health Care, which can be offered at State Veterans Homes across the United States. Adult Day Health Care programs provide disabled veterans and their families with a high quality alternative to nursing home care. However, the VA does not currently cover the cost of participation in this program at state veteran homes and the expense of the program is put directly on the veteran and their family, which significantly limits the number of veterans who can enroll. The program is also only currently offered at three facilities in the United States; one being the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook.

H.R. 2460 would ensure that severely disabled veterans, those who are 70% or more service connected disabled, are able to receive Adult Day Health Care at no cost to them by defining the program as a reimbursable treatment option through the VA. The bill would also help expand Adult Day Health Care on Long Island and in states across the country. The bill has strong bipartisan support in Congress, with already over 50 cosponsors, including the entire Long Island Congressional Delegation. The bill also has received support from various Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), including the American Legion, AMVETS and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Congressman Zeldin said, "With committee passage of my bill to expand Adult Day Health Care for disabled veterans, we are now one step closer to this bill coming to the House floor for a vote this year. This is an important bipartisan bill that ensures our brave American heroes receive the proper treatment and care they deserve after sacrificing so much for our country. There are so many options of quality care for veterans, but too often their choices are limited. By passing this bill, we can ensure that all veterans receive the best and most efficient outpatient services, while also allowing them to maintain their independence. Getting this bill passed and signed into law is a top priority, and I will continue working with my colleagues in the House and all of the supportive veterans groups to bring this bill to the House floor this year to expand Adult Day Health Care for our disabled veterans on Long Island and across the country."

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