Medicare and Veterans Affairs rarely coordinate, making providing care to elderly and disabled veterans on both programs more of a hassle than it should be. Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (R-FL) have introduced a bipartisan bill to create case managers for these veterans, streamlining and personalizing the processes.
Named the "Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act," Rep. Ciscomani's bill would implement a three-year pilot program in which case managers are assigned to oversee and coordinate benefits offered by Medicare and Veterans Affairs for each veteran enrolled in these systems. They then hash out a personalized healthcare plan to ensure these services are properly managed and delivered.
"Veterans are our nation's heroes, and they deserve a healthcare system that works for them. Unfortunately, too often, I hear from veterans who are frustrated by the lack of coordination between Medicare and the VA when trying to access the healthcare benefits they are owed. This bipartisan legislation will help senior veterans and those with disabilities by assigning a case manager to develop individualized care plans, coordinate the delivery of care, and help veterans navigate Medicare and the VA. I am proud to partner with Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick on this effort," said Rep. Ciscomani in his press release.
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick added, "Our nation's veterans deserve the highest quality and standard of care. The VA and Medicare program must fulfill this mission, but research continues to show that dually enrolled veterans struggle to navigate the healthcare bureaucracy and receive coordinated care. I am proud to co-lead the Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act, which would connect dually enrolled veterans with case managers to help them personalize their healthcare services, all while lowering costs. This bill has the potential to significantly increase access to care for my home state of Florida, which has the third-largest veteran population in the entire country. I am excited to work with my colleague Congressman Ciscomani to advance this bipartisan priority."
