Rep. Zeldin Announces House Passage of His Veterans Adult Day Health Care Bill

Press Release

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, announced today that legislation he introduced in Congress to expand care for disabled veterans (H.R. 2460) passed the House unanimously with strong bipartisan support. You can watch the House debate and vote here.

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, which passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously last week on May 18, 2016, 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, "House passage of my bill to expand Adult Day Health Care for disabled veterans is a huge win for the veteran community. Despite various care options for veterans, their choices are often limited, and can come at a great expense. By increasing disabled veterans' access to Adult Day Health Care programs, we can ensure that all veterans receive the best and most efficient outpatient services, which are tailored to their individual needs. Adult Day Health Care programs also allow disabled veterans to lead a much more fulfilling life by maintaining their independence and also keeping families together. My bill is just one more way that we can expand care for our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. It must always be a top priority of Congress to ensure that all veterans receive the proper treatment and care they deserve after their selfless sacrifice for our country. I will continue working in Congress with my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as with all of the supportive veterans groups, to get this bill through the Senate and signed into law before the end of the year."

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