ASSIST Act Mandates VA Cover Ramps, Lifts, and Adapted Seating as Medical Services for Disabled Vets

The new ASSIST Act of 2025 is mostly focused on making life easier and safer for disabled veterans by clarifying what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must cover as a medical service. Essentially, if a veteran needs specific modifications to their car or van due to a service-connected disability, the VA is now required to treat those adaptations just like any other covered medical procedure or device.

The VA’s New Mobility Mandate

Section 2 of the bill cuts through the red tape and specifically defines a whole list of medically necessary automobile adaptations that the VA must now include under their definition of “medical services.” This is a big deal because it means coverage is mandatory, not optional or subject to administrative discretion.

What exactly is covered? The list is surprisingly detailed and practical. It includes things like ramp systems and kneeling systems for easier entry, mobility lifts (whether in use or not), and structural changes like raised doors, lowered floors, or raised roofs needed to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility devices. They even included air conditioning systems and specially adapted seating arrangements. For a veteran with a spinal cord injury, for example, this means the VA must now cover the specialized equipment needed to safely drive to appointments or work, treating it as integral to their care as a wheelchair itself.

This provision directly addresses the high cost of specialized vehicle modifications, which can often run into the tens of thousands of dollars. By classifying these adaptations as a covered medical service under 38 U.S.C. 1701(6)(I), the bill ensures that mobility isn't limited by a veteran's ability to pay for essential vehicle changes.

The Pension Payment Sunset Shift

Section 3 of the ASSIST Act is a bit more bureaucratic, focusing on the expiration date for an existing rule that limits certain pension payments. Currently, a rule found in Title 38, U.S. Code, Section 5503(d)(7) that restricts some pension payouts was set to expire on November 30, 2031.

This bill simply pushes that expiration date back by nearly a year, extending the limitation until September 30, 2032. For the average person, this doesn't change anything immediately, but it means that the existing rules governing certain pension limits will stay in place for a few extra months before the rules are scheduled to change. While the primary focus of the bill is clearly on improving veteran access to medical mobility services, this second section maintains the administrative status quo on pensions for just a little longer.