Improving Adult Day Health Care Services for Veterans

Floor Speech

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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2460) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of adult day health care services for veterans.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. MILLER of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of H.R. 2460. The bill is sponsored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), a member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, and the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. I am grateful to him for sponsoring this piece of legislation.

This bill actually directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement or a contract with State veterans homes to pay for adult day health care for a veteran eligible for, but not receiving, nursing home care.

It would also stipulate that payment under each agreement or contract between the VA and a State home cover the cost of adult day care for eligible veterans at a rate equal to 65 percent of the payment that the VA would otherwise pay to the State home if the veteran were receiving nursing home care.

Adult day health care programs provide veterans in need of skilled services, case management, or assistance with activities of daily living with valuable social activities, peer support, medical monitoring, companionship, and recreation during the day and provide caregivers with needed respite.

However, according to the National Association of State Veterans Homes, veterans face barriers accessing adult health care programs each day due to costs. This bill would help address those cost concerns and increase the degree of access for veterans who are eligible for VA-paid nursing home care due to their 70 percent or higher service-connected rating.

As the veteran population ages, Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly important that the VA provide a wide variety of geriatric and long-term care services and supports, and adult day health care programs can serve as an important component of that.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this piece of legislation.

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Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, ask all my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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