Upper Peninsula Bergman testified on the merits and necessity of his bill, H.R. 234 – “Gerald’s Law,” in a Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.
Reiterating the personal experience of Gerald “Jerry” Elliot, a U.S. Army Veteran from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Rep. Bergman underscored the pronounced need to reform the VA’s burial benefit requirements.
After receiving his cancer diagnosis in 2019, Gerald was admitted to the Iron Mountain VA to receive treatment and was later placed on hospice care, at which point he decided to return home to enjoy his remaining time with family. As Rep. Bergman explained, Jerry’s family was informed after his death that despite him receiving hospice care through the VA, they did not qualify for VA burial benefits.
Under current law, if a terminally ill Veteran wants the full burial benefit that their family deserves, they would be forced to die in a hospital or nursing home through the VA instead of transferring to home hospice care.
“This injustice is unacceptable. No Veteran or their families should have to worry about losing VA benefits for their family when choosing to spend their last days in the comfort of their loved ones in their own home. H.R. 234 will address this by extending VA burial allowance eligibility to Veterans whose deaths occur at home while receiving VA hospice care if they were previously receiving VA hospital or nursing home care,” Rep. Bergman stated.
Read the text of the bill here or watch the full testimony here.
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