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Budzinski Helps Pass Bipartisan Bill to Improve Home Health Care Options for Veterans

Nov 20, 2024
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) voted to pass the bipartisan Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This package includes many provisions that are priorities for veterans and veterans service organizations (VSOs), such as support for home- and community-based care, improvements to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational and employment programs and assistance for homeless veterans. 

The legislation is anchored by the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act which will enable veterans to remain at home, age safely in place and avoid or delay admission to nursing homes and other costly institutional settings of care. 

“When our veterans step up to serve our country, we make a promise to take care of them when they come home,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “This week, we honored that promise by passing the single largest expansion of VA long-term care services in decades. This comprehensive legislation will support home- and community-based care to allow disabled and aging veterans to live with dignity and independence, as well as tackle the veteran homelessness crisis and assist veterans as they transition to civilian life. I’m especially proud of the process of bipartisan compromise that allowed this package to pass the House with broad support and I will continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure our veterans receive the high-quality care they deserve.” 

Congresswoman Budzinski serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and its Subcommittee on Health. As a member of the Committee, she is focused on improving care for veterans and, to that end, worked to pass her bipartisan Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act in September. The bill would make it easier for veterans to access their earned benefits by requiring the VA to eliminate overcomplicated language from written communications with veterans. Additionally, she has launched a Veterans Advisory Council and Women Veterans Advisory Council to inform her work on the committee and give local veterans a seat at the table. 

Text of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act can be found here. 

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