# 119-s-5027: Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026

119-s-5027, Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5027
- As of: 2026-08-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5027
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-16
- Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-01

## Summary

**Would protect reimbursement rates for VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide services and force clearer, scheduled reporting on how those rates are set.** It focuses on rural veterans by barring cuts below the rates in effect on December 31, 2025 unless Congress gets 90 days' notice and by requiring detailed transparency about rate methods. - Veterans and families: Would reinstate and shield VA home- and community-based care reimbursement at the December 31, 2025 level for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services, limiting sudden rate cuts that could affect service availability in rural areas. - Providers and regional capacity: Would require annual reviews of provider capacity and regional participation, with the first review due no later than 180 days after enactment, to spot gaps and plan to keep rural coverage adequate. - Congressional oversight and transparency: Would require an initial report within 90 days detailing data sources, weighting and adjustment factors, contractor roles, provider consultation, and modeling methods used to set reimbursement rates, plus ongoing annual reporting.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Restore VA home-care pay rates: benefit, medium. If enacted, the VA would restore any reimbursement rates cut after December 31, 2025 for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services back to the rates in effect on December 31, 2025. The VA would not be allowed to reduce those rates below the December 31, 2025 levels unless it notifies Congress at leas…
- VA reports on home-care rates: benefit, low. If enacted, the VA would send Congress a report within 90 days explaining the data and methods used to set reimbursement rates for Homemaker and Home Health Aide services. The report would say if VA used Medicare, Medicaid, or private-market data, list weights and adjustments, describe contractor r…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025
- 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5027 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5027)

## Related
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5027 (as of 2026-08-01).