Crapo, King Introduce Bill to Streamline State Veterans Home Inspections

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the State Veterans Home Inspection Simplification Act, which would streamline redundant inspection requirements for State Veterans Homes (SVHs) nationwide.

Under current law, all SVHs must undergo an annual inspection survey by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides a comprehensive assessment of safety protocols, facility condition, clinical care practices and other standards required for certification.

In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conduct a nearly identical annual inspection of SVHs serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries-resulting in a roughly 75 percent overlap in the number of SVHs that face an audit from both agencies.

The bill would allow SVHs to forgo the CMS survey if they have met all the requirements of the annual VA survey.

"Overlapping survey requirements take time and resources away from the core mission of State Veterans Homes-providing care to our nation's heroes," said Crapo. "We must remove unnecessary administrative burdens and allow for a more streamlined certification process, all without compromising the quality of care veterans deserve."

"Maine Veterans Home and state veterans homes across the country are a lifeline to the brave men and women who served," said Senator King. "However, redundant inspections hamper their ability to deliver critical services and support. The State Veterans Home Inspection Simplification Act is commonsense legislation that will ensure we continue to provide the highest quality of care to our veterans while streamlining administrative processes. Keeping our promise to veterans everywhere - from Maine to Idaho - should never be partisan and I'm grateful to partner with Senator Crapo on this issue."

"State Veterans Homes represent a sacred trust we hold to care for those who served our nation. The VA survey process is both rigorous and comprehensive, covering clinical care, financial stewardship, and life safety across all care levels. Duplicative CMS surveys add no meaningful oversight benefit and only increase costs and the burden on facilities and the Veterans we serve. I want to thank Senator Crapo for his leadership in advancing this important bipartisan legislation that restores commonsense oversight while upholding the highest standards of care." - Mark Tschampl, Director of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services

"The National Association of State Veterans Homes (NASVH) strongly supports the State Veterans Home Inspection Simplification Act, a commonsense bill that would prevent unnecessary overregulation of veterans nursing homes. State Veterans Homes operate under the oversight of VA, which includes an annual inspection requiring them to meet about 200 health, safety, and quality standards. However, about 75% of the State Veterans Homes are also required to receive annual inspections by CMS covering substantially the same standards, leading to unnecessary costs and bureaucratic obstacles. This legislation is a vital step toward reducing redundancy in oversight while preserving the quality and accountability veterans deserve. NASVH extends our heartfelt thanks to Senator Crapo and Senator King for introducing this legislation and their unwavering commitment to our nation's veterans." - Diane Lynch, NASVH President

The CMS survey has been found to be 90 percent identical to the clinical life and safety sections of the VA inspection survey. The VA survey is considered more comprehensive as it accounts for domiciliary care and adult day health care, whereas the CMS survey does not.

Key Provisions of the State Veterans Home Inspection Simplification Act:

• Eliminate duplication: Reduce unnecessary, overlapping annual survey requirements by the VA and CMS.
• Resource Efficiency: Free up SVH staff time and resources to focus more on veteran well-being and care.
• Cost Savings: Cut redundant inspection expenses for taxpayers.
• Maintain Quality: Enable CMS to rely on robust, comprehensive VA inspection report findings.
• Streamline Reporting: Use VA inspection reports for the CMS Compare website to support informed consumer decision-making.

Original co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and Tim Sheehy (R-Montana).

As part of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations legislation enacted in November, Crapo also secured a provision requiring the U.S. Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the ongoing backlogs halting SVH construction and renovation projects.

Background on State Veterans Homes

SVHs are owned, operated, managed and financed by individual states through their divisions or departments of veterans' affairs. There are currently 172 VA-recognized SVHs across the country, including 166 skilled nursing programs, 48 domiciliary care programs and three adult health care programs.

Idaho is home to four VA-recognized SVHs, located in Boise, Lewiston, Pocatello and Post Falls. All are operated by the Idaho Division of Veterans Services.

View the full text of the bill HERE.

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