S. 495: Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long Term Care Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assisted living services to eligible veterans, including by assessing the satisfaction of veterans participating in the pilot program. Eligible veterans are those who (1) are eligible for assisted living services as determined by the VA; and (2) are already receiving nursing home level care paid for by the VA, are eligible for such care from the VA, or exceed the requirements for domiciliary care paid for by the VA but do not meet the requirements for nursing home level care paid for by the VA.

The Inspector General of the VA must report to Congress on the pilot program, and the VA must submit a follow-up plan to address any deficiencies that are identified in the report.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.