Veterans Look to Secure Benefits

Veterans Affairs increases spending cap for home health services, reps look to make Gerald’s Law permanent

By Michelle Love

The Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 has allowed for two recently announced changes that will help veterans secure benefits.

Increase in Expenditure Cap

As a result of Section 120 of the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced an increase in the expenditure cap for in-home and community-based services for veterans with certain complex medical conditions.

The VA’s home health care program will now cover the costs of in-home and community-based services for veterans with spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other complex medical conditions at 100% of the cost of similar care in a VA Community Living Center. This is an increase from the previous rate of 65%.

This rate increase will reduce out-of-pocket costs for eligible veterans and their families for services like home health aide, home respite, community adult day health care, veteran directed care and skilled home health.

The organization estimates that 200 veterans will take advantage of the higher expenditure cap in fiscal year 2026. The skilled home health care program has enrolled approximately 1,800 veterans since it was established in 2019.

“This important change will enable veterans with complex medical conditions to continue receiving high quality care while remaining in their homes, surrounded by friends and family,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “By matching the expenditure cap for home- and community-based services with the cost of care in our community living centers, we are enabling veterans to maintain their independence and home connections.”

Gerald’s Law

Representatives reintroduced Gerald's Law as a standalone bill to permanently protect burial benefits for veterans who receive hospice care furnished by the VA outside of a VA facility.

The bill was reintroduced by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL).

Gerald’s Law was enacted as part of the Elizabeth Dole Act and signed into law on Jan. 2, 2025.

However, the provision was included as a time-limited pilot and currently applies only to veterans who pass away between July 2025 and Oct. 1, 2026. Gerald "Jerry" Elliott's family was denied burial benefits after he passed away at home in 2019, as the law previously required death to occur in a VA facility for full benefits.

Under prior law, veterans who received VA-furnished hospice care at home or in other non-VA settings were deemed to have died “outside” a qualifying VA facility, even when the VA remained responsible for their care. As a result, some families lost access to the full VA burial allowance because of where their loved one spent their final days. The representatives said Gerald’s Law closes this gap, ensuring that veterans receiving VA-furnished hospice care—whether at home, in a nursing home or another non-VA setting—retain access to their full burial benefits.