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Source: Congress.gov
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Before we get started, in accordance with Committee Rule 5E, I ask unanimous consent that Representative Dave Taylor from Ohio be permitted to participate in today's committee hearing. Without objection, This oversight hearing of the Subcommittee on Health will now come to order. I'd like to welcome all members and witnesses to today's hearing. We look forward to a very productive discussion about care for aging veterans. Every veteran deserves independence and dignity with age. With age, however, comes challenges. The baby boomer generation is getting to an age where long-term care is increasingly needed. More and more veterans are entering a period in life where they are physically and mentally vulnerable or don't live near family members who can assist. The demands on the VA for long-term care will only grow due to the incoming veterans who served during the Vietnam and Cold War eras. For some, they have trouble advocating for themselves because of their health needs, which can undermine their independence. This subcommittee works every day to make sure VA health care meets veterans where they are. We know older veterans experience social isolation or may. Chronic pain, mental health challenges, and the VA health care must meet our aging veterans' needs. Recent incidents shows that there's still work to be done. I'm particularly troubled by veteran suicide later in life. We've talked a lot about suicide in our younger veterans and our veterans who transition out of the service, but not much about veterans who commit suicide late in life. And just two weeks ago, a 77-year-old veteran tragically committed suicide at a VA medical campus. Sadly, very little research exists about why veterans end their lives at a time when they should be enjoying the fruits of all of their labor. Through this subcommittee's oversight trips, we have heard that older veterans who commit suicide are an invisible population. As a 24-year Army veteran and physician, I refuse to let this issue live in the shadows. Healthcare programs through VA are a major contact point where the VA can interact with older veterans.
Uniquely, state veterans' homes deal with this population almost exclusively. They are a key means by which we can support older veterans on a daily basis. State veterans' homes are long-term care facilities for veterans and often for their spouses. They are state-run but receive substantial amounts of funding from the VA. When VA supports state veterans' homes, it's also supporting a compilation of smaller programs. VA gives funds for state veterans' homes to support programs like resident care, domiciliary care, and adult day care. In addition, VA provides grants for facility construction through a matching program with states. The VA also provides grants for nursing retention at state veterans' homes. These programs help veterans flourish later in life. But are we sure that the VA is helping state veterans' homes meet their full potential? This oversight hearing is meant to answer this question. I know that most homes throughout the country give the quality of care that veterans in need deserve, but there are notable outliers. In 2020, at a state veteran's home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, over 70 veterans died with COVID-19 during an outbreak during the pandemic. Many more suffered infections. An independent investigation revealed that this horrific tragedy was preventable. Additionally, GAO reported that the total number of demerits for failing requirements in the annual VA audit increased from 2019 to 2021. The good news is that these are exceptions rather than the rule. But what can we do to make sure all homes offer the standard of care veterans deserve? I believe the VA can help state veterans' homes succeed. We know that the VA has money. We give it to them every year. Again, the VA disperses a substantial amount of funding to support state veterans' homes through reimbursements and grants. We must make sure the VA allocates these funds to the right resources. That's why I've introduced a bill to provide veterans with more access to essential medications. My bill would reimburse state veterans' homes for medication cost.
Currently, the VA does not pay state veterans' homes for high-cost medications for severely disabled veterans. Yet they are often revolutionary cancer drugs that can help significantly lengthen the veteran's life and quality of life.
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