Veterans Health Care Legislation Introduced in House

Introduction of legislation aimed at improving access to long term care services for veterans was recently announced, continuing the progress of AHCA and others on veterans health care issues.

The bill, “The Veterans Access to Long Term Care and Health Services Act,” (H.R. 4113) was introduced by Representative Bruce Poliquin (R-ME-02) on October 24, 2017, and serves as a companion bill to the Senate bill (S. 1611) introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

The bill ensures that extended care providers, including nursing centers, can legally enter into Veterans Affairs (VA) Provider Agreements, and would be subject to the same rules and regulations as any other Medicare or Medicaid provider. Currently, some providers are deterred from entering into these agreements because of complex rules and regulations relating to veterans care that exceed the requirements of Medicare and Medicaid.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on October 24th with Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin during which the Secretary expressed the administration’s support for provider agreements in skilled nursing centers.  Members who would like more information on the VA provider agreement issue should contact Dana Halvorson at dhalvorson@ahca.org or (202) 898-2822.