Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021”.
Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve long-term care provided to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Strategy for long-term care for aging veterans
In general— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a strategy for the long-term care of veterans.
Elements— The strategy developed under subsection (a) shall—
identify current and future needs for the long-term care of veterans based on demographic data and availability of services both from Department of Veterans Affairs and from non-Department providers in the community, include other Federal Government, non-Federal Government, nonprofit, for profit, and other entities;
identify the current and future needs of veterans for both institutional and non-institutional long-term care (for example, home-based and community-based services), taking into account the needs of growing veteran population groups, including women veterans, veterans with traumatic brain injury, veterans with memory loss, and other population groups with unique needs; and
address new and different care delivery models, including by—
assessing the implications of such models for the design of facilities and how those facilities may need to change; and
examining the workforce needed to support aging populations of veterans as they grow and receive long-term care through different trends of care delivery.
Report— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the strategy developed under subsection (a).
Sec. 3 Improvement of State veterans homes
Standardized sharing agreements— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a standardized process throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs for entering into sharing agreements between State homes and medical centers of the Department.
Clarification on copayments for certain disabled veterans— The Secretary shall ensure that all veterans who are catastrophically disabled, as defined by the Secretary under section 1730A of title 38, United States Code, are not required to pay a copayment for medication received at a State home.
Oversight of inspections—
Monitoring— The Secretary shall monitor any contractor used by the Department to conduct inspections of State homes, including by reviewing the inspections conducted by each such contractor for quality not less frequently than quarterly.
Reporting of deficiencies— The Secretary shall require that any deficiencies of a State home noted during the inspection of the State home be reported to the Secretary.
Transparency— The Secretary shall publish the results of any inspection of a State home on a publicly available internet website of the Department.
Definitions— In this section, the term State home has the meaning given that term in section 101(19) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 4 Geriatric psychiatry pilot program at State veterans homes
In general— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall commence the conduct of a pilot program under which the Secretary shall provide geriatric psychiatry assistance to eligible veterans at State homes.
Duration— The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under this section for a two-year period.
Type of assistance— Assistance provided under the pilot program under this section may include—
direct provision of geriatric psychiatry services, including health care if feasible;
payments to non-Department of Veterans Affairs providers in the community to provide such services;
collaboration with other Federal agencies to provide such services; or
such other forms of assistance as the Secretary considers appropriate.
Consideration of local area needs— In providing assistance under the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall consider the geriatric psychiatry needs of the local area, including by considering—
State homes with a high proportion of residents with unmet mental health needs;
State homes located in mental health care health professional shortage areas designated under section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e); or
State homes located in rural or highly rural areas.
Definitions— In this section:
Active military, naval, or air service— The term active military, naval, or air service has the meaning given that term in section 101(24) of title 38, United States Code.
Eligible veteran— The term eligible veteran means a veteran who the Secretary determines would benefit from access to geriatric psychiatry services, including veterans who sustained a traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder in line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service.
State home— The term State home has the meaning given that term in section 101(19) of title 38, United States Code.
Sec. 5 Support for aging veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness
In general— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall work with public housing authorities and local organizations to assist aging homeless veterans in accessing existing housing and supportive services, including health services like home-based and community-based services from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from non-Department providers in the community, even if the veteran is not eligible for such services from the Department.
Payment for services— The Secretary may, and is encouraged to, pay for services for aging homeless veterans described in subsection (a).