Bill Overview
Title: Innovative Cognitive Care for Veterans Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement, as part of the Veterans Community Care Program, a pilot program under which the VA may enter into agreements with certain private organizations to provide telehealth, virtual training tools for home health aides, and other services that slow the progression of cognitive disorders.
Sponsors: Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans experiencing cognitive disorders
Estimated Size: 1200000
- The bill specifically targets veterans, as it is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- It focuses on veterans with cognitive disorders, which may include conditions like Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
- The bill aims to provide telehealth and virtual tools, indicating that veterans with access to technology or caregivers who can use technology will be impacted.
- Globally, veterans exist in many countries, but the bill is specific to U.S. veterans, as it involves the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Reasoning
- The policy specifically targets a subgroup of veterans who have cognitive disorders, which includes conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia. Estimates suggest around 1,200,000 veteran patients could be candidates for the program.
- Telehealth services inherently require access to appropriate technology. Therefore, veterans who are in regions with good internet connectivity or have access to digital tools are more likely to benefit from this policy.
- The VA's budget allocation implies a project scale that would require careful selection of services and targeted marketing to ensure maximum coverage whilst prioritizing areas with concentrated veteran populations.
- Considering the given budget and the duration of the intended care, we look at a range of veteran situations including those with varying degrees of access to care, geographically diverse backgrounds, and different levels of existing support systems.
Simulated Interviews
Retired (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 73 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm eager for any new support, as my memory is getting worse and this could ease the caregiving burden on my family.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 2 |
Part-Time Librarian (Austin, TX)
Age: 68 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's essential for me to maintain independence; having virtual training tools could help me stay self-reliant longer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Retired (Macon, GA)
Age: 81 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While the technology adoption might be daunting, having access to more cognitive care tools could be beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 1 |
Veteran advocate (Sioux City, IA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy will provide early interventions that could slow down my condition.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Retired nurse (Seattle, WA)
Age: 75 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm excited about learning new tools that could support my mental wellbeing further.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 2 |
Retired farmer (Rural Montana)
Age: 66 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry about the technology part, but any support that can visit or offer real help is appreciated.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 1 |
| Year 20 | 2 | 1 |
Retired teacher (Houston, TX)
Age: 72 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Veterans often don't have the resources we need, so more programs like this are crucial for our health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Retired (Buffalo, NY)
Age: 78 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could extend my time at home with less need for moving into a facility.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 1 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 1 |
Retired journalist (Miami, FL)
Age: 85 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 2
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The program sounds good, but at this stage, more comprehensive help is needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Year 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Year 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Year 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Year 20 | 1 | 1 |
Retired engineer (St. Louis, MO)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I welcome anything that could give my family better tools to help me effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $60000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $75000000)
Year 2: $55000000 (Low: $45000000, High: $70000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $65000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The pilot's success in slowing cognitive disease progression could validate greater future expansions and larger scale deployments.
- Budgetary considerations should include ongoing maintenance of the telehealth infrastructure and relationship management with private providers.
- The pilot program's adaptability and responsiveness to technological changes will be critical to its success.