like to call the subcommittee to order subcommittee will mark twelve eleven a bill to entitle thirty eight to expand and improve health care services available to women veteran through the department of veteran affairs especially those who served in operation enduring freedom and operation iraqi freedom began i'd like to actually recognize ms sandlin leadership and her unwavering commitment to helping wom chairman i just want to also give my full support chairwoman her efforts to this legislation our women veterans have provided such tremendous service to consideration ask unanimous consent that this bill be considered as read and open to amendment at any point or objection very non ordered the bill is now hoping for an amendment as mr brown had mentioned i do have an analysis of data shows that ninety five percent of mothers of their infants are released from medical care facilities within the first seven days additionally this level of coverage is significantly beyond the standard  is twelve eleven as mental ported to the full committee without objection the committee staff is authorized to make technical clerical and forming changes as it may be necessary  and as they're coming for it i'd like to thank you we want for coming today the goal of today's hearing is to identify the gaps in support of services for family caregivers we also seek a better understanding of the s current efforts to meet the needs of family caregivers of that trend family caregivers are the true backbone of the u s long term health care system with more than fifty million people who provide informal care giving books on the disabled or aged family members of friends in any given year focusing on family caregivers of that trend is my understanding that the v a does not collect data on this population and therefore the numbers of family members who care providers is unknown additionally the studies of general family caregiver population show that the real adverse financial physical toll that caregivers has had on any individual on these individuals for example women family caregivers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty also family caregivers report have a clonic health condition as at twice the rate of non caregivers kind of part and those who provide thirty six more hours weekly caregiving are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety than on caregivers in the end this has serious implications for our veterans in order to ensure that our country's hero the highest quality of hear from their family caregivers is important that we arm them with the right tools and offer appropriate supportive services so that they are less apt to be overwhelmed by the difficult day to day reality of being a caregiver clearly family caregivers have made great sacrifices i had heard from family members who gave up their jobs delayed their schooling and made significant life changing sacrifices in order to be with their loved one this raises questions about the current efforts to help these family caregivers and whether there are significant support of services in place additionally there are concerns about the lack of coordination of caregiver benefits when the service members to a veteran status in other words support of services that family caregivers may have depended upon through the are suddenly discontinued when the wounded warrior transition to the v a system through today's hearing i look forward to exploring ways to better how the family caregivers of so i want to thank all the  counseling organization of support group training respite care and other supplemental the caregiver program acknowledges a central role of care in our health and long term care delivery systems and has allow provide a broad range of services and to ensure that programs consumers and culturally competent are aging that work has had a positive and significant impact in the lives of caregivers by supporting the work they do through our caregiver program we touched the lives of more than a million people with more than eighty one percent indicating the program them to care for their loved ones longer thereby avoiding shared commitment to meeting the needs of consumers and their families on their terms and according to their preference and we know that both younger veterans and older adults want to be in charge of their own lives and to direct their