Bill Overview
Title: S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act
Description: This bill expands eligibility for assistance under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for such assistance to caregivers of veterans who have a serious illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military, naval, or air service. Under current law, such assistance is already provided to caregivers of veterans who sustained serious injuries in the course of their military, naval, or air service. The bill also requires the provision of an annual multidimensional assessment to measure burdens felt by family caregivers who are designated as the primary providers of personal care services to such veterans.
Sponsors: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Target Audience
Population: Caregivers of Veterans with Service-related Illnesses
Estimated Size: 2000000
- The bill targets caregivers of veterans who have serious illnesses related to their service, expanding current caregiver support from those caring for injured veterans.
- As per data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 18 million veterans in the United States.
- The number of veterans who have service-related illnesses but not injuries is smaller than the total veteran population but significant enough to potentially affect several hundred thousand caregivers.
- Caregiver roles include family members providing direct care, and this expansion could include thousands who were previously not eligible for support.
- The bill also impacts veterans with service-related illnesses as their caregivers gain more support.
Reasoning
- The average age and demographic differences among veterans requires us to include a diverse set of caregivers in terms of age, location, and social conditions.
- Caregivers often range from spouses to children and even extended family members, often bearing different burdens and challenges depending on their roles.
- The financial cap and the broad estimate of the target population necessitate consideration of both large and small impacts across various groups to assess the efficiency of the use of funds.
- Wellbeing measurements must reflect the varied personal circumstances that could influence a caregivers' perceptions, including economic status, the quality of veteran health, and their own health.
- A common factor often highlighted in caregiver surveys is the potential improvement in mental health and reduction in stress when they receive structured support, which may guide how wellbeing changes are evaluated.
Simulated Interviews
full-time caregiver (Ohio)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The current system doesn't recognize the intensity of caregiving required for illness-related conditions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
retired engineer (California)
Age: 59 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's been hard without support. This policy feels like a lifeline.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
part-time nurse (Texas)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With extra support, perhaps I can reduce my working hours.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
student (Florida)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the policy will allow me more time to focus on my education.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
administrative assistant (New York)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We barely scrape by; more support would mean the world.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 1 |
retired teacher (Illinois)
Age: 63 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's comforting to know there might be more help available soon.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
retired (Nevada)
Age: 72 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Additional support helps our already strained finances and my well-being.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
homemaker (Georgia)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being recognized for my role would be a relief emotionally and financially.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
retired military personnel (Virginia)
Age: 70 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We hope for a significant change if approved.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
freelance artist (Washington)
Age: 52 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any improvement to caregiver support is desperately needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $3500000000 (Low: $3000000000, High: $4000000000)
Year 2: $3605000000 (Low: $3090000000, High: $4110000000)
Year 3: $3713150000 (Low: $3182700000, High: $4227600000)
Year 5: $3937564550 (Low: $3374889900, High: $4487923800)
Year 10: $4438587780 (Low: $3809911800, High: $5097266200)
Year 100: $18127847120 (Low: $15502440000, High: $20894252000)
Key Considerations
- The eligibility expansion considers caregivers of veterans with illnesses as opposed to injuries, broadening the assistance scope.
- The average annual cost per caregiver is derived from current program data.
- The multifactor assessments will incur additional administrative costs, likely driving up the initial costs.
- Potential healthcare savings depend on effective caregiving reducing veteran healthcare utilization in official VA facilities.