VA publishes proposed regulations to improve the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

WASHINGTON –The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register March 6 that would improve and standardize VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) and ensure the program regulations reflect changes required by the VA MISSION Act of 2018. 

A component of the Caregiver Support Program, the PCAFC was established in 2011 to provide additional benefits including a monthly stipend for qualifying family caregivers of eligible Veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

In the proposed rule, VA seeks to standardize eligibility by expanding the definition of serious injury to include any service-connected disability — regardless of whether it resulted from an injury, illness or disease — defining what it means to be in need of personal care services, and ensuring that the eligibility criteria capture the personal care service needs of Veterans and Servicemembers with cognitive or neurological impairment or mental health conditions, among other things.

Additionally, VA is proposing changes to the stipend payment methodology, definitions for financial planning and legal services and procedures for revocation and discharge, to include advance notice requirements aimed at improving communication between VA and PFAFC participants.

"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to caregivers who work tirelessly to provide critical support for our nation’s Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "This proposed regulation would improve the assistance we provide to help ensure our most vulnerable Veterans can stay in their homes with their loved ones for as long as possible.”

VA’s Caregiver Support Program is the first of its kind and addresses the complexity and expense of keeping loved ones out of institutions and at home with their families who provide personalized care. The program offers unparalleled support services including training, peer mentoring, respite care, a telephone support line and self-care courses for caregivers of all Veterans enrolled in VA health care who need personal care services.

The regulations are part of a broad effort to strengthen PCAFC in advance of a planned expansion under the MISSION Act which expanded eligibility for PCAFC to eligible Veterans from all eras, beginning with those who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975. Two years after the first phase of program expansion, PCAFC will include eligible Veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty between May 7, 1975 and Sept. 11, 2001. Prior to expanding, VA must fully implement an information technology (IT) system required by the MISSION Act.

In October 2019 VA launched a commercial off-the-shelf IT system and expects to complete deployment in late summer or early fall of 2020. The department also standardized operating procedures for the Caregiver Support Program, provided new training for staff and caregivers and is boosting operational capacity through hiring of additional staff. These changes are necessary as VA prepares to expand PCAFC.

Learn more about support services available for caregivers of Veterans or call the Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274.

The proposed rule will be open for public comment in the Federal Register for 60 days.

Veterans of Foreign Wars            Menifee VFW Post 1956   P.O. Box 321 Menifee, CA 92586

EIN: 95-3319357- 501(c) (19) Veteran Non-Profit: C2326557

 COMMANDER’S CORNER

December 1, 2023

 Greetings Comrades:

The holidays have arrived and would like to wish you all the best the Holiday Season has to offer. Many of our post members participated in various VFW Programs and Post events in the fourth quarter 2023. If you are one of them, I extend a great thank you for your relentless volunteer service you provided to carry out the VFW mission to our members, other veterans, our youth, and the community.

 Various Post administrative changes occurred this year and made our leadership more transparent with our officer responsibilities. We established a new webmaster to update our Post website and participated in various VFW Programs and events.

 Fourth Quarter Post Activities:

 1) We joined forces with our Post Auxiliary in September & October 2023, to distributed and collect VFW Program applications from local schools and First Responders.

 2) November 4, 2023, attended Amber Waves of Grain and recruited two members

 3) On November 4 & 5, join the Boys Scouts of America with Buddy Poppy drives

 4) November 11, 2023, partnered with the city of Menifee with Veterans Day and honored five Korean Veterans with the Korean Peace Medal.

 5) November 11, 2023, delivered the second most successful Annual Veterans Ball

 6) November 18, 2023, distributed 200 Thanksgiving turkeys to various veterans.

 As you can see, we had a gracious 4^th quarter. But going forward, I request your undivided attention to be involved by attending our general meetings to make your membership vote count. We meet 2^nd  Saturday of each month, 10:00 a.m., at Mt. San Jacinto College, (MSJC), Building 900, Room 927; 28237 La Piedra Rd. Menifee, CA 92584.