The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is a large proposed veterans’ bill that aims to overhaul healthcare, disability compensation, and support programs for millions of U.S. veterans. It has been introduced in Congress but has not become law yet, so no VA benefits have changed at this time.
The bill appears in the House as H.R. 9237 and in the Senate as S. 4744, and it pulls together provisions from dozens of previously introduced veterans’ measures, making it one of the most ambitious veterans packages in years.
What the bill is trying to do
Supporters describe the bill as a major expansion of veterans’ services, while critics worry about how some of the funding changes could affect future disability payments.
Broadly, the Act aims to:
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Increase support for combat-injured veterans and their retirement pay
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Expand mental health and suicide prevention resources
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Improve treatment and services related to traumatic brain injury (TBI)
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Strengthen assistance for family caregivers, surviving spouses, and transitioning service members
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Invest more money into direct VA healthcare, IT modernization, and cybersecurity
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Protect veterans’ access to community care when VA facilities aren’t available or are too far away
Because the bill bundles more than 60 earlier proposals, it reaches across many areas of the VA system—from compensation and healthcare to education and claims processing.
The Major Richard Star Act and retirement pay
One of the most talked-about pieces inside the package is the Major Richard Star Act. This provision would help more than 59,000 combat-injured veterans who were medically retired.
Right now, many of these veterans have to give up part of their military retirement pay when they receive VA disability compensation, due to rules against “double-dipping” benefits.
The Major Richard Star Act would change that, allowing eligible veterans to receive full military retirement pay and full VA disability compensation at the same time.
For affected veterans, this could mean a significant increase in monthly income, especially for those whose injuries forced them into medical retirement.
Mental health, TBI care, and caregiver support
Beyond retirement pay, the bill would:
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Expand suicide prevention programs, including outreach and support for at-risk veterans
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Improve diagnosis and treatment for traumatic brain injury, a major issue for many post-9/11 veterans
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Strengthen programs that help family caregivers, who often provide daily support to severely disabled veterans
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Enhance support for surviving spouses, education benefits, and transition services for veterans leaving active duty
It also aims to increase the speed and accuracy of VA claims, which is a long-standing concern for veterans dealing with delays or errors in their benefits decisions.
Investment in VA healthcare and facilities
The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act would put billions of dollars into:
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Direct care at VA medical centers
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Modernizing VA information technology and cybersecurity infrastructure
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Authorizing a major $1.8 billion medical facility project in Manchester, New Hampshire
Alongside that, the bill seeks to protect veterans’ ability to get community-based healthcare—for example, when VA appointment wait times are too long or when the nearest VA facility is too far away.
Potential changes to future disability ratings
The most controversial parts of the bill involve proposed changes to disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus.
Sleep apnea
Under current rules, many veterans receive a 50% disability rating if they are diagnosed with sleep apnea and require a CPAP machine, regardless of how well that treatment controls their symptoms.
Under the proposed changes:
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Sleep apnea would not automatically qualify for 50% just because a CPAP is used.
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Ratings would instead be based on how much impairment remains after treatment, focusing more on functional impact than simply the presence of certain equipment.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus—ringing or buzzing in the ears—is currently often rated as a separate 10% disability.
Under the bill:
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Tinnitus could stop being rated as a stand-alone condition.
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Instead, it may be considered a symptom of another service-connected condition, such as hearing loss, and folded into that rating rather than counted separately.
Important protection for current ratings
The bill indicates that existing ratings would be protected. Veterans who already have disability ratings for sleep apnea or tinnitus would not see their payments reduced retroactively.
These changes would mainly affect:
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New claims filed after any future rules take effect
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Future rating decisions, not benefits already granted
Supporters argue that any savings from these rating changes would stay inside veterans’ programs and help fund the bill’s expanded benefits. Critics worry that future veterans with the same conditions could end up with lower compensation than those who filed under the older rules.
Has anything changed yet?
Not yet. The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act:
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Has been introduced in the House and Senate
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Is still being debated and has not been passed by Congress
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Has not been signed by the president
Until it becomes law:
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VA rules and benefits remain the same
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Disability ratings, compensation, and healthcare eligibility continue under current regulations
Veterans considering claims for sleep apnea, tinnitus, or other conditions should keep an eye on legislative updates but can still file under the existing system for now.
What veterans should watch for
If you rely on VA benefits, here’s what to pay attention to:
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Whether H.R. 9237 / S. 4744 advances out of committee
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Any changes in the language around sleep apnea and tinnitus ratings
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Updates from the VA, veterans service organizations, and trusted advocacy groups about implementation timelines
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Guidance on how new rules (if passed) might affect future claims versus current benefits
For now, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is a major proposal, not a finished law. It could significantly expand some benefits while changing how certain disabilities are rated, so following its progress will be important for many veterans and their families.
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