Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

The U.S. House this week passed Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s Expanding Veterans Options for Long-term Care Act, which would help senior veterans live more independently and cut costs for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

According to a press release, the bill was passed with bipartisan support as part of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, a larger veterans package.

The legislation creates a three year pilot program at the VA that would allow senior veterans to receive assisted living care paid for by the department, giving them more options for independent living and reducing VA spending on nursing home care and has been endorsed by a wide range of veterans service organizations and other stakeholders.

"When we send our men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we make a solemn promise to take care of them when they return home -- including in their later years. With today’s bipartisan vote, the House delivered on that promise," said Slotkin.

"This bill is a bipartisan approach to ensuring that our veterans have access to affordable, high quality care later in life. The pilot program it creates will lay the groundwork for senior veterans to live their lives independently and without undue financial stress. Today’s House vote shows that lawmakers can work in a bipartisan way to deliver results for our vets, and my Senate colleagues should do the same and take up this bill."

A September 2021 report to Congress by the VA concluded that the number of veterans eligible for nursing home care is expected to rise by approximately 535% over the next 20 years. However, many of these veterans do not require the comprehensive care provided by nursing homes, and would be better served by assisted living, which would allow them to live more independently. Currently, the VA is barred from covering room and board at assisted living facilities.

VA coverage of assisted living care would significantly cut costs for the department, as nursing home fees average nearly $121,000 per year, while assisted living facilities cost only a little more than $51,000 per year.