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New Law Offers More Flexible Care for Veterans
Date Updated: February 3, 2025
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Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act May Provide Funding for Veterans in Assisted Living Facilities
One of President Biden's last acts before leaving the White House was to sign into law S.141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. Dated Jan. 2, 2025, this comprehensive bipartisan measure increases veterans' benefits, including educational and job training benefits, mental health resources, and modernization of the VA's organizational structure and processes.
One benefit affects older veterans — the law requires the VA to investigate the possibility of funding room and board costs for veterans who prefer to reside in assisted living facilities. Caring.com created this guide to help you understand how this new law may affect veterans and their caregivers.
Key Takeaways
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What Does This Law Mean?
S.141 is a comprehensive piece of legislative work that includes potential benefits for veterans. In general, it addresses the need and preference for home-based and community-based care by many veterans and supports caregiver programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The law also requires the VA to partner with the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. This Medicare and Medicaid program allows senior veterans to stay in their communities rather than enter nursing homes. It also expands several other programs that support home-based and community-based services.
The law also directs the VA to begin a pilot program to provide financial support for eligible veterans' room and board at assisted living facilities. Although the pilot program will take three years before the Inspector General submits a report on it, the law could lead to funding for veterans who prefer to reside in assisted living spaces.
How Does This Law Affect Veteran's Benefits?
Although this new law has far-reaching consequences in many areas of veteran care, one of the most comprehensive may be the pilot program for assisted living support. As many veterans know, the VA does not currently pay room and board costs for assisted living facilities. However, they may qualify for other VA benefits and programs that can help pay for services they receive while they live in these facilities.
Assisted living can be a good option for many vets and a better match for their abilities than the more intensive care found in nursing homes or memory care facilities. Assisted living also offers support not found in independent living residences, such as help with personal care and transportation.
Until now, veterans needed to provide their own funding for room and board costs in assisted living facilities, whether from long-term care insurance, government aid, personal savings, or other sources. According to the Genworth Cost of Care survey, the average cost of room and board in an assisted living facility in 2023 was $5,350. However, costs vary depending on location and other factors.
What Happens Now That The Law Is In Place?
Veterans should not expect instant changes in their financial support. The law instructs the VA to begin the three-year pilot program this year to evaluate the feasibility of expanded assisted living options for eligible vets currently in nursing homes. The pilot program will work with two of the VA's 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) in geographically diverse areas. Up to 60 veterans can participate from each VISN.
The pilot program will seek to determine the benefits for veterans living in an assisted living atmosphere, as well as the program's cost-effectiveness. The VA projects an estimated savings of $69,101 per placement per year for veterans taking advantage of the program as opposed to living in VA-funded nursing homes, which tend to have higher costs. If this proves to be true, it suggests significant savings for qualifying veterans.
Bottom Line
S.141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, requires the VA to complete several initiatives to provide more compassionate, flexible care for veterans and their caregivers in their preferred locations. One of the most potentially significant changes may mean that VA funding could cover the cost of assisted living for eligible veterans. A pilot program to test this initiative begins later in 2025.
Sources
- Cost of care survey. (2024). Genworth.com
- H.R. 1815: Expanding Veterans' Options for Long Term Care Act. (2024). Congress.gov
- H.R. 8371: The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act background. (n.d.). House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- McCue, Kaitlyn. (n.d.). The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act and what it means for you. Wounded Warrior Project
- Miller, Tessa. (2024). Congress passes landmark veteran's legislation with key reforms for caregivers. Elizabeth Dole Foundation
- Sampson, Dan, et al. (2025). Veterans gain access to assisted living through new legislation. Argentum
- S.141: The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. (2024). Congress.gov
- S.495: Expanding Veterans' Options for Long Term Care Act. (2024). Congress.gov