Family caregivers quietly sustain our veterans’ health care system. They manage medications, provide personal care, coordinate appointments, and stand watch through complex physical and behavioral health challenges. Because of them, veterans can remain at home, avoid costly institutional care, and live with dignity.

But when caregiving ends, too many caregivers face an uncertain future.

As the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee prepares for a critical Feb. 12 hearing, MOAA urges Congress to advance the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement (3R) Act (H.R. 2148 | S. 879) out of committee and toward passage. This bipartisan legislation recognizes a simple truth: Caregiving is essential service, and serving as a caregiver should not jeopardize an individual’s future well-being.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Support Veteran Caregivers]

The need for caregivers is growing rapidly. Veterans age 65 and older represent an increasing share of VA patients, and most will require some level of long-term support as they age. Millions of family members and loved ones provide this care every day, often over many years.

VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) offers clinical support and a monthly stipend to tens of thousands of families. But that stipend is classified as unearned income, meaning caregivers cannot build Social Security credits or retirement savings during years of full‑time caregiving. When caregiving ends –   because a veteran recovers, eligibility changes, or a loved one passes away – caregivers may face a sudden loss of support with no clear transition path.

The result can be frightening and financially destabilizing.

Real-Life Scenarios

Caregivers’ experiences vary, but patterns have emerged:

• Trouble finding work: A caregiver steps away from the workforce for years to provide daily, in‑home care. Professional licenses lapse, skills grow outdated, and résumé gaps widen. Reentering the workforce becomes harder when caregiving ends, especially without help renewing credentials or accessing training.
  
  
• Abandoned at a critical time: Caregiving ends abruptly with the death of a loved one. Faced with stress and grief, support services fall away quickly. With little time to prepare, caregivers must rebuild their lives – not just finding income but establishing purpose and direction.
  
  
• Facing an unclear retirement: Long‑term caregivers emerge from their role with limited retirement savings, having spent years covering out-of‑-‑pocket costs while sacrificing wages and employer-sponsored benefits. Without intervention, many face an increased risk of relying on Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or other income-based assistance.
  
  
• Navigating serious health concerns. The intensity of daily care leaves many caregivers little time for their own health. Caregivers commonly report unmet mental health needs, contributing to burnout and compounding long-‑term health and economic risks.

These are not isolated stories. These are actual outcomes of a VA health care system that relies on caregivers but fails to help them plan for what comes after caregiving.

[RELATED: VA Awards Disability Benefits Using Criteria From 80 Years Ago, Federal Watchdog Finds]

A Practical, Preventive Solution

The 3R Act offers targeted, cost smart reforms that support caregivers through transition rather than creating long‑-‑term dependence. It will help them renew licenses, pursue continuing education, and prepare to reenter the workforce. It will strengthen reemployment pathways, including opportunities within the VA, by recognizing the value of caregivers’ skills and experience.

It also will provide retirement planning assistance and explore caregiver-focused‑ savings options to address long‑standing financial insecurity.

Together, these measures will help caregivers rebuild stability while reducing the likelihood they will need other federal assistance programs.

Caregivers save taxpayer dollars every day by keeping veterans at home and out of institutional care. Helping them transition back to work and plan for retirement prevents cost-shifting‑ to other federal and state programs down the line. It strengthens VA’s capacity today and preserves it for the future.

Supporting caregivers is not just the right thing to do: It is smart policy.

Now Is the Moment to Act

The Senate has already advanced its bill (S. 879) with bipartisan support. The House must now do its part.

Caregivers enable veterans to live with independence and dignity. They stabilize families, communities, and the VA health care system itself. They should not be left to rebuild their own lives alone once caregiving ends.

MOAA calls on lawmakers to promptly move the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act out of committee and pass it through the House without delay. Add your voice to our cause via our Legislative Action Center.

Caregivers stepped up for our veterans. Now, Congress must step up for them.