AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond issued the following statement in response to the introduction of the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

Family and others who provide care for veterans spend on average $11,500 of their personal income on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving each year—1.5 times higher than what other family caregivers spend ($7,242), according to AARP data. Across the country, more than 6.5 million veteran and military caregivers provide $14 billion in unpaid labor for America’s wounded warriors every year—putting their own financial well-being aside—and at risk.

AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ final rule that would, among other components, allow health care professionals to be paid solely for time spent training family caregivers.

AARP strongly supports new bipartisan legislation, the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act, which would make it easier for family caregivers to navigate key health care programs.

AARP’s new Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard finds that more than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, care provided in the United States for older adults and people with disabilities is painfully inadequate. The report finds that major gaps persist in every state, especially related to support for family caregivers, the long-term care workforce, equity in nursing homes, and emergency preparedness.