(Alexandria, Va.) – Maggie Elehwany, Argentum Senior Vice President, Public Affairs issued the following statement on today’s Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on pending legislation, including S. 495, the Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long-Term Care Act.
I want to thank Chairman Tester and Ranking Member Moran for holding this important hearing. Our veteran population is aging rapidly, and their long-term care needs are growing as well. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), roughly half of the 9 million veterans currently enrolled in veterans’ health care programs are 65 or older. Over the next decade, the number of veterans over 75 is expected to approach 3 million. The number of veterans aged 85 or older receiving care from VA health services is expected to grow approximately 535 percent over the next 20 years.
Federal data shows that someone turning age 65 today has a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care in their lifetime, while the VA predicts that approximately 80 percent of veterans will develop the need for long-term services. However, VA is restricted from covering “room and board fees” at assisted living communities, which precludes veterans from utilizing this long-term care option. Many veterans eligible for nursing home care may not need skilled nursing or other institutional settings and may prefer a more home-like setting that promotes independence such as assisted living when appropriate.
If enacted, S. 495 would authorize VA to carry out a three-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assisted living services to eligible veterans who do not require nursing home care but cannot live alone. Many veterans eligible for nursing home care may not need skilled nursing or other institutional settings and may prefer a more home-like setting that promotes independence such as assisted living when appropriate. Studies have shown that by attending to the social determinants of health, assisted living helps maintain the well-being of seniors and relieves the burden on public health programs by reducing hospitalization and social isolation.
In a 2021 report to Congress, the VA outlined federal savings that could be achieved if veterans were given the option of assisted living care. Approximately 5 percent of veterans residing in federally funded Community Nursing Homes (CNHs) could be appropriately housed in assisted living. In FY2020 the annual cost of a CNH placement was $120,701 compared with $51,600 for assisted living. By utilizing assisted living for individuals who meet the relevant criteria at the time of admission, the VA would save $69,101 per placement per year.
- 495 is a commonsense approach to expand veterans’ access to assisted living services at a time when the aging population is creating growing demand for assisted living and other long-term care options. The bill enjoys widespread support by senior living providers, Veterans Service Organizations, and now, the VA.
In his prepared remarks, Dr. Miguel LaPuz, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Integrated Veteran Care, at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, told the committee that the VA supports S. 495, with some technical amendments: ““VA agrees that specific authority to furnish assisted living services would be a helpful addition to VA’s options for long-term care…The pilot authority would allow VA to determine how best to develop a program to support these Veterans’ needs. VA supports the protections this bill would include to ensure that Veterans are protected and receiving safe and appropriate care.” We welcome VA’s support of this important legislation.
Assisted living communities are home to two million seniors, of which 42% are veterans or their spouses. However, the current VA prohibition on paying for assisted living room and board fees means many low-income veterans who participate in federal assistance programs have had to pay for almost all assisted living costs out of pocket. S. 495 is the first step in addressing this issue by helping VA provide access to a greater range of long-term care options and prepare to care for the rapidly increasing population of aging veterans.
Argentum and its members look forward to working with members of the Veterans Affairs Committee to pass S. 495.
A copy of Argentum’s letter to the committee can be found read here.
About Argentum
Argentum is the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve. Since 1990, Argentum has advocated for choice, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all older adults.
Argentum member companies operate senior living communities offering assisted living, independent living, continuing care, and memory care services. Along with its state partners, Argentum’s membership represents approximately 75 percent of the senior living industry—an industry with a national economic impact of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars and responsible for providing over 1.6 million jobs. For more information, visit www.argentum.org.
Contact:
Michael Keegan
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
ARGENTUM | Expanding Senior Living
1650 King Street, 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-599-7412 | [email protected]
