Dole 21st Cent. Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act

If you think Veterans living with ALS deserve better, let your senators and representative know!

Veterans are up to ten times more likely to be diagnosed with ALS than civilians. While we don’t know why, there is enough evidence to prove that there is a link between military service and being diagnosed with ALS. In fact, the US government has designated ALS as a 100% military service-connected disease. 

Veterans living with ALS will progressively need more and more assistance for this 100% fatal disease. To get the caregiving they need, the VA’s current policy forces Veterans into moving into nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This separates Veterans from their families and loved ones and often leads to a lower quality of life & increased stress on the Veteran and their family and network of support.

To better address the medical needs of Veterans, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act would improve VA support systems and increase access to home and community-based care services. Increased access to receiving caregiving at home would allow Veterans and their families and loved ones to stay together and be more involved in the Veterans’ healthcare. It would also provide them with systems of support to ensure the Veteran can age at home, have a better quality of life and help provide support for their caregivers.

Currently the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act is part of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R.8371), an omnibus veterans bill containing several bills focused on Veterans. We support the passage of H.R.8371.