On May 5, 2010, President Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act into law. This law is designed to ensure that families of veterans who were severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive comprehensive, coordinated financial and other support to provide home-care for these veterans.
This new law provides:
Health care, respite care and counseling to the family caregivers of injured veterans
Health care for the newborn children of women veterans
Child care for women veterans receiving medical care
Travel reimbursement for veterans in rural areas
The law acknowledges the great personal sacrifices that family members of wounded veterans make to take care of their loved ones, often putting their own lives on hold to be long-term, full-time caregivers. The caregiver provisions of the new law will take effect in February 2011, giving the V.A. time to implement the new plan.
Terri North is the Macomb County, Michigan attorney who heads up the Legal Strategies practice. Legal Strategies assists clients in the areas of estate planning, probate and real estate.
