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Advocates press for clearer rules and protections for caregivers under Elizabeth Dole Act and VA programs
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Summary
Representatives of caregiver organizations and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation urged Congress and the VA to finalize and simplify rules for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, grandfather legacy participants, and protect veteran-directed care and related certifications from contract pauses.
Speakers at the joint hearing urged Congress and VA to simplify implementation of the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, to protect caregivers enrolled in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), and to ensure the veteran-directed care (VDC) program can expand without interruption.
Meredith Beck of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation said the proposed VA rule for PCAFC remained "far too complicated" and difficult to implement in a standardized way. She asked Congress to exercise oversight and to "grandfather the legacy cohort of PCAFC participants" — post‑9/11 caregivers admitted to the program prior to Sept. 30, 2020 — who have repeatedly been re‑evaluated and paused. "Grandfathering this relatively small population would allow the VA to focus on its mission of supporting all generations of caregivers," Beck told the committee.
Beck also flagged a specific operational risk: a stop-work order on a contractor responsible for certifications in the veteran-directed care program. She said that pause threatened recertification and expansion activities required by law. "The contract that provides for those certifications was recently halted, leaving the future of the program and those enrolled in jeopardy," she said.
TAPS president Bonnie Carroll urged Congress to remove financial and administrative barriers survivors face, including support for increasing dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), and reforms to remarriage rules that penalize surviving spouses who remarry. Carroll described legislative priorities including the Love Lives On Act and the Caring for Survivors Act, and urged swift action.
Witnesses recommended that Congress use oversight to ensure the VA's rules and implementations align with legislative intent; that the department ensure stable contracts and vendor certifications for caregiver- and home-based programs; and that outcomes for enrolled family caregivers be protected while the VA finalizes rules.
Lawmakers asked for program-level details and said they would monitor implementation closely to prevent unintended loss of benefits or service interruptions for caregivers and the veterans they support.
