WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), representing more than 5,000 assisted living communities across the country, applauded the passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. The bill, which includes provisions that offer eligible veterans assisted living care paid for by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), now heads to President Biden to be signed into law.
“We are thrilled to see the passage of this critical piece of legislation,” said LaShuan Bethea, Executive Director of NCAL. “Aging and disabled veterans can benefit greatly from the services provided in assisted living communities. They deserve to have the freedom to choose how and where they receive the long term care they need. Veterans, much like our nation, are aging, and this bill is one way that policymakers are prioritizing quality care for this most deserving population. We thank Congress for its efforts to protect and preserve the dignity and care of our nation’s veterans."
The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last evening, following U.S. Senate passage last week.
NCAL is part of a broad coalition of senior advocacy, veterans service, homeless prevention and health and aging services organizations that has long supported the bill. NCAL and its coalition partners wrote letters to the
U.S. House and
U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committees urging members to support the legislation, and specifically the VA assisted living pilot program. In the letters, the groups say the bill is a sensible approach to the benefits of assisted living for veterans and provides the VA critical flexibility to address the needs of our rapidly growing veteran population – many of whom may be unable to live at home and could utilize VA assistance.