Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021 2. Strategy for long-term care for aging veterans (a) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a strategy for the long-term care of veterans. (b) Elements The strategy developed under subsection (a) shall— (1) 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; (2) 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 (3) address new and different care delivery models, including by— (A) assessing the implications of such models for the design of facilities and how those facilities may need to change; and (B) examining the workforce needed to support aging populations of veterans as they grow and receive long-term care through different trends of care delivery. (c) 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). 3. Improvement of State veterans homes (a) 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. (b) 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. (c) Oversight of inspections (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) Transparency The Secretary shall publish the results of any inspection of a State home on a publicly available internet website of the Department. (d) Definitions In this section, the term State home 4. Geriatric psychiatry pilot program at State veterans homes (a) 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. (b) Duration The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under this section for a two-year period. (c) Type of assistance Assistance provided under the pilot program under this section may include— (1) direct provision of geriatric psychiatry services, including health care if feasible; (2) payments to non-Department of Veterans Affairs providers in the community to provide such services; (3) collaboration with other Federal agencies to provide such services; or (4) such other forms of assistance as the Secretary considers appropriate. (d) 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— (1) State homes with a high proportion of residents with unmet mental health needs; (2) 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 (3) State homes located in rural or highly rural areas. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Active military, naval, or air service The term active military, naval, or air service (2) Eligible veteran The term eligible veteran (3) State home The term State home 5. Support for aging veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness (a) 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. (b) Payment for services The Secretary may, and is encouraged to, pay for services for aging homeless veterans described in subsection (a).

Summary: Planning for Aging Veterans Act of 2021 This bill addresses the long-term care of veterans, including by implementing policies for the administration of state homes. First, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a strategy for the long-term care of veterans. The VA must develop a standardized process for entering into sharing agreements between state homes and VA medical centers. A state home is a home established by a state for veterans who are disabled by age, disease, or otherwise and incapable of earning a living because of such disability. The term also includes a home that furnishes nursing home care for veterans. Under the bill, the VA must ensure that veterans who are catastrophically disabled are not required to pay a co-payment for medication received at a state home. Generally, veterans are catastrophically disabled if they have a permanent severely disabling injury, disorder, or disease that compromises the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. The VA must monitor any contractor it uses to conduct inspections of state homes, including by reviewing inspections, reporting deficiencies, and publishing inspection results on a public VA website. The VA must implement a two-year pilot program to provide geriatric psychiatry assistance to eligible veterans at state homes. Finally, the VA must work with public housing authorities and local organizations to assist aging homeless veterans in accessing existing housing and supportive services, even if a veteran is not eligible for such services from the VA.