H.R. 7158 would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay for up to 900 veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to live in medical foster homes. That authority would take effect at the end of fiscal year 2022 and would expire after five years. Used as an alternative to a nursing home, a medical foster home is a private home in which a trained caregiver provides daily assistance to a small group of veterans. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $265 million over the 2022-2027 period; such spending would be subject to the appropriation of the estimated amounts.
