Veteran Directed Care Program Newsletter

August 14, 2026

In Case You Missed It: August Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Office Hour

Thank you to everyone who attended the August Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Office Hour held on Wednesday, August 5. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) addressed frequently asked questions and unresolved items submitted by VDC providers during the June VDC Office Hour.  ACL and VHA also hosted an open Q&A for attendees to ask questions live. A recording of the Office Hour is available here.

Recap of USAging Conference "VDC Get-Together"

Last month at the USAging Answers on Aging Conference, Roger Auerbach organized and facilitated a “VDC Get-Together” with 12 VDC providers from across the country. Participants discussed shared challenges, successes, and opportunities to strengthen the VDC program. Providers shared practical feedback about how greater consistency, communication, and education could better support day-to-day implementation across VAMCs and provider organizations. Our team valued hearing directly from providers about the real experiences of delivering VDC and the opportunities to continue improving the program for Veterans.

Key themes and considerations identified during the discussion included:

• Promote common, consistent language across VDC programs, especially for VDC providers supporting multiple VAMCs, to help strengthen adherence to policy and guidelines related to spending plans, services, and program requirements.
• Improve standardization of core processes across VDC programs, including the use of electronic versus paper documentation, standardized timesheets, monthly service reports, and review processes for goods and services.
• Explore opportunities for smaller or regional meetings to support more targeted peer discussion and problem solving.
• Identify strategies to help VDC programs increase referrals, including Veteran and community education through VFWs, VSOs, community hubs, and other appropriate outreach channels.
• Visibly demonstrate how VDC impacts Veterans' lives and supports cost savings, helping providers, VA partners, and other stakeholders better understand the value of the program.

ACL and VHA will take additional feedback on challenges and proposed solutions into account for changes to future products, processes, and guidance. Thank you to those who attended!

Policy Spotlight: Allowable Expenditures Under VDC

A Veteran’s spending plan identifies the goods and services needed for the Veteran to live in the community, how the goods and services will be provided, and the amount of funding required to purchase them. However, there are limits on which goods and services may be purchased under the VDC program. For a good or service to be considered an allowable expenditure under VDC, it must meet all the following criteria:

VDC providers should discuss with their VA Medical Center (VAMC) VDC Coordinator any Veteran requests for goods and services that require clarification based on the VA’s existing policy. The VDC provider should then document the VAMC’s determination. For additional information on allowable expenditures, refer to the VDC Operations Manual Template.

Reminders

ACL's No Wrong Door (NWD) Website VDC Page: Visit the VDC page on the NWD website for helpful resources. If you do not find a resource, please email veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov. 

VDC Monthly Reporting Tool: Please continue submitting your program's data at the end of each month using this form. This helps track the program's impact accurately. If your VDC provider or VAMC is missing from the tool, email veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov with the correct details.

Veteran Success Stories: Please use the Veteran Success Story form to share inspiring VDC success stories, including positive Veteran stories from their VDC enrollment experience, promising practices as a VDC provider, or stories of success that you've heard from the Veterans you serve. We'd love to feature them in future newsletters!

VDC Technical Assistance (TA) Community: VDC providers can share peer-created resources, join in on discussions, and get information on events related to VDC on the VDC TA Community! Create an account at www.ta-community.com or reach out to veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov for assistance with getting access to the Community.

Technical Assistance: Have a question? Need guidance? Want to share good news about your VDC program? Reach out to the VDC Federal Technical Assistance Team at veterandirected@acl.hhs.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

VDC Email Distribution List: Ensure you and your team receive important updates. If you are not yet subscribed, add your information here: VDC Email Distribution List form. We value your partnership supporting Veterans through the Veteran Directed Care program.

Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to supporting Veterans through the Veteran Directed Care program.