A bill co-sponsored by United States Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire aims to boost the US Department of Veteran Affairs’ caregiver program, reports the Associated Press.
The VA currently provides stipends and support to caregivers of wounded veterans who sustained or aggravated an injury on or before September 11, 2001. Caregivers could include family members or other members of the veteran’s support group. According to Hassan, caregivers and veterans have been reported being dropped from the program with little to no explanation or time to appeal.
The Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act (a.k.a TEAM) would; ensure caregivers are included in veterans’ medical records, require the VA provide more context leading to downgrade or termination decisions, and extend benefits for at least 90 days after a termination measure is sent for cases in which a veteran is deemed “no longer clinically eligible” for the program.
Hassan, a Democrat, is co-sponsoring the bill along with Democrat Gary Peters from Michigan and Republican Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
WNTK Local News 