Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act

Bill: 117-s-1779
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced: 2021-05-20
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Drug therapy

Health promotion and preventive care

Hospital care

Immunology and vaccination

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Veterans' medical care

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2021-10-20
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-05-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act</strong></p> <p>This bill eliminates veterans' copayments for medication, hospital care, and medical services related to preventive health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.</p> <p> The bill expands the definition of <i>preventive health services</i> to include (1) evidence-based items or services that have an A or B rating in the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force; (2) immunizations that have a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the individual involved; and (3) with respect to women, the preventive care and screenings provided for in the Health Resources and Services Administration Preventive Services Guidelines in effect as of the date of enactment of this bill.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1779 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 20, 2021 Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Ms. Collins ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate copayments by the Department of Veterans Affairs for medicines relating to preventive health services, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act . 2. Improvement to preventive health services furnished by Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Elimination of medication copayments Section 1722A(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking or ; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (E) to medication that is or is part of a preventive health service. . (b) Elimination of hospital care and medical services copayments Section 1710 of such title is amended— (1) in subsection (f)— (A) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and (B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraph (5): (5) A veteran shall not be liable to the United States under this subsection for any amounts for preventive health services. ; and (2) in subsection (g)(3), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) Preventive health services. . (c) Definition Section 1701(9) of such title is amended— (1) in subparagraph (K), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) by redesignating subparagraph (L) as subparagraph (O); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following new subparagraphs: (L) evidence-based items or services that have in effect a rating of A or B in the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force; (M) immunizations that have in effect a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the individual involved; (N) with respect to services for women, the preventive care and screenings provided for in the Health Resources and Services Administration Women's Preventive Services Guidelines in effect as of the date of the enactment of the Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act , or successor similar guidelines; and .