In the U.S., Veterans eligible for long-term care is projected to increase from two to four million from 2019 to 2039. The VA is growing the Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program to prepare for the rise in eligible Veterans. As part of a five-year expansion plan, the VA is set to include the VDC program in all VA medical centers (VAMC) nationwide. Expansion tasks proposed by the government include:
- Expanding the VDC program to 70 VAMCs
- Provide 75 Home-Based primary care teams in areas with the most unmet needs for Veterans
- Add Medical Foster homes to 58 medical centers
Expanding VDC to every VAMC nationwide is required to take place by the end of this year. Originally, the plan was to expand VDC to every VAMC by the end of 2026. As of last summer, the VA noted that it is on pace to complete the expansion on time by the end of 2024. The VA predicts to double its spending to over $14 billion over the next decade. The increase in spending will help fund VDC and other long-term care program expansions.
VDC program expansion will allow more Veterans to stay in their homes longer. VDC became a preferred option over nursing homes and long-term care centers during the pandemic a few years ago. Since the end of the pandemic, many Veterans still prefer to direct their long-term care decisions with VDC.
More information on the VA’s expansion of VDC can be found on the AARP website.
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Check out the VDC program introduction on our ___ page: