Hearing on VA Caregiver Support IT Systems

• •The hearing was a joint session between the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held on May 22, 2019.
• •The primary focus was the IT systems supporting the General Caregiver Support Program and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
• •The VA caregiver program provides stipends, health care, travel expenses, mental health care, respite care, and injury-specific training.
• •The program is designed for veterans who are medically stable enough to live outside an institution but lack the ability to care for themselves independently.
• •The hearing included testimony from the Veterans Health Administration, the Government Accountability Office, and private sector IT experts.
• •The hearing record is published as Serial No. 116-12.

The hearing examines the digital systems that manage benefits for family caregivers of disabled veterans, which directly impacts the delivery of stipends, respite care, and medical training for those supporting veterans living outside of institutions.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.