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House File 697 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to veterans health care services.
2BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 35A.19 Veterans case manager.
21. For the purposes of this section:
3a. “Health care facility” means a hospital as defined in
4section 135B.1, or a health care facility as defined in section
5144D.1.
6b. “Veterans health care facility” means a health care
7facility operated by the veterans health administration.
82. A veterans case manager shall be appointed by the
9director, in consultation with the director of the department
10of inspections and appeals and the director of human services,
11to assist veterans in obtaining the greatest degree of health
12care and health care benefits available and to promote policies
13that would benefit veterans seeking health care. The case
14manager shall serve at the pleasure of, and report directly to,
15the director.
163. The veterans case manager shall perform the following
17duties:
18a. Act as an intermediary between health care facilities and
19veterans health care facilities.
20b. Assist health care facilities in the transfer of veterans
21to veterans health care facilities.
22c. Provide information to veterans and health care
23facilities regarding health care services available to
24veterans.
25d. Apply for, receive, and administer federal aids, grants,
26and gifts relating to inpatient health care services for
27veterans.
28e. Work with county veteran affairs offices to inform
29veterans of benefits that may be available to veterans for
30health care services.
31f. Recommend to the department of inspections and appeals
32standards and courses of study that fulfill the requirements of
33section 272C.2C, subsection 1A.
34g. Ensure that veterans are treated by health care
35facilities with at least the same level of care as nonveterans.
-1- 1h. Encourage physicians, nurses, and other individuals
2working in health care who have military experience to work in
3Iowa.
4i. Inform Iowa residents who are veterans or currently
5serving in the military about education, benefits, and support
6available to obtain a degree or certification that would allow
7the person to become a health care worker.
8j. Collaborate with health care facilities in identifying,
9upon a person’s admission to a health care facility, the
10person’s eligibility for benefits through the United States
11department of veterans affairs, including prescription drug
12benefit eligibility, and programs with a focus on veterans.
13k. Collaborate with the department of inspections and
14appeals to identify any barriers to veterans in accessing
15prescription drug benefits designated for veterans.
16l. Assist health care facilities in amending rules and
17procedures for medication administration to allow veterans
18greater access to prescription drug benefits.
19 Sec. 2. Section 135B.1, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
20following new subsections:
21 NEW SUBSECTION. 5. “Veteran” means the same as defined in
22section 35.1.
23 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. “Veterans case manager” means the same
24as described in the provisions of section 35A.19.
25 Sec. 3. Section 135B.7, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
26following new subsections:
27 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. The department shall adopt rules
28requiring hospitals, upon identifying a person requiring
29inpatient health services as a veteran, to establish and
30implement protocols providing for all of the following:
31a. Contacting the veterans case manager regarding the
32veteran’s admission.
33b. Identifying whether the veteran is at risk for causing
34harm to the veteran’s self or others.
35c. Holding a veteran experiencing or at risk of experiencing
-2-1a mental health crisis for a period of not less than
2twenty-three hours unless a court order dictates otherwise or
3the patient is allowed to transfer to a veterans health care
4facility as defined in section 35A.19.
5d. Requiring the hospital to evaluate the veteran’s mental
6stability to determine if the veteran is a threat to the
7safety of the veteran’s self or others prior to the veteran’s
8discharge.
9e. Preventing the hospital from treating a veteran with less
10or different care than nonveteran patients solely because of a
11person’s veteran status.
12 NEW SUBSECTION. 7. The department, in consultation with the
13department of veterans affairs, shall adopt rules that provide
14that if a person is eligible for benefits through the United
15States department of veterans affairs or any other third-party
16payor, the payor of last resort for reimbursement to a hospital
17is the medical assistance program established under chapter
18249A. The rules shall also require the hospital to request
19information from a person or a person’s personal representative
20regarding the person’s veteran status and to report to the
21veterans case manager only the names of persons identified as
22potential veterans along with the names of their spouses and
23any dependents. Information reported by the hospital shall be
24verified by the department. This subsection shall not apply to
25the admission of a person for outpatient health services.
26 NEW SUBSECTION. 8. The department shall adopt rules
27that require hospitals to collaborate with the veterans case
28manager to identify barriers veterans may face in obtaining
29prescription drug benefits, and require, upon the admission
30of a person eligible for benefits through the United States
31department of veterans affairs to a hospital, the hospital
32to cooperate with the veterans case manager to assess the
33extent for which the person is eligible for prescription drug
34benefits.
35 Sec. 4. Section 272C.2C, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
-3-1following new subsection:
2 NEW SUBSECTION. 1A. The board of medicine, board of
3dentistry, board of physician assistants, board of podiatry,
4and board of nursing shall establish rules requiring a person
5licensed pursuant to section 148.3, 148C.3, 149.3, or 152.6 or
6chapter 153 to receive continuing education credits regarding
7the treatment of veterans, as defined in section 35.1, as
8a condition of license renewal. Each licensing board, in
9consultation with the veterans case manager established in
10section 35A.19, shall have the authority to determine how often
11a licensee must receive continuing education credits.
12EXPLANATION
13The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
14the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
15This bill relates to veterans health care services.
16The bill creates the position of veterans case manager
17within the department of veterans affairs. The veterans case
18manager shall be appointed by the executive director of the
19Iowa department of veterans affairs in consultation with the
20director of the department of inspections and appeals and
21the director of the department of human services, to assist
22veterans in obtaining the greatest degree of health care and
23health care benefits available and to promote policies that
24would benefit veterans seeking health care. The veterans case
25manager shall serve at the pleasure of, and report directly to,
26the executive director of the department of veterans affairs.
27The bill specifies the duties of a veterans case manager.
28The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals
29to adopt rules that require hospitals, upon identifying a
30person admitted to the hospital as a veteran, to contact the
31veterans case manager, assess whether the veteran is a danger
32to the veteran’s self or others, hold the veteran for 23 hours
33if that person is experiencing or at risk of experiencing a
34mental health crisis, assess whether the veteran is a danger to
35the veteran’s self or others prior to discharging the veteran,
-4-1and prevent the use of less or different care than nonveterans
2solely because of a person’s veteran status.
3The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals,
4in consultation with the department of veterans affairs, to
5adopt rules that provide that if a person is eligible for
6benefits through the United States department of veterans
7affairs or any other third-party payor, specifying that
8the payor of last resort for reimbursement to a hospital is
9the medical assistance program established in Code chapter
10249A. The rules shall also require the hospital to request
11information from a person or a person’s personal representative
12regarding the person’s veteran status and to report to the
13veterans case manager only the names of persons identified as
14potential veterans along with the names of their spouses and
15any dependents. Information reported by the hospital shall be
16verified by the department. These rules shall not apply to the
17admission of a person for outpatient health services.
18The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals
19to adopt rules that require hospitals to collaborate with the
20veterans case manager to identify barriers veterans may face
21in obtaining prescription drug benefits, and require, upon
22the admission of a person eligible for benefits through the
23United States department of veterans affairs to a hospital, the
24hospital to cooperate with the veterans case manager to assess
25the extent for which the person is eligible for prescription
26drug benefits.
27The bill requires the board of medicine, board of dentistry,
28board of physician assistants, board of podiatry, and board of
29nursing to establish rules requiring a person licensed under
30those boards to receive continuing education credits regarding
31the treatment of veterans as a condition of license renewal.
32Each licensing board, in consultation with the veterans case
33manager, shall have the authority to determine how often a
34licensee must receive continuing education credits.
-5-dg/rh
2BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 35A.19 Veterans case manager.
21. For the purposes of this section:
3a. “Health care facility” means a hospital as defined in
4section 135B.1, or a health care facility as defined in section
5144D.1.
6b. “Veterans health care facility” means a health care
7facility operated by the veterans health administration.
82. A veterans case manager shall be appointed by the
9director, in consultation with the director of the department
10of inspections and appeals and the director of human services,
11to assist veterans in obtaining the greatest degree of health
12care and health care benefits available and to promote policies
13that would benefit veterans seeking health care. The case
14manager shall serve at the pleasure of, and report directly to,
15the director.
163. The veterans case manager shall perform the following
17duties:
18a. Act as an intermediary between health care facilities and
19veterans health care facilities.
20b. Assist health care facilities in the transfer of veterans
21to veterans health care facilities.
22c. Provide information to veterans and health care
23facilities regarding health care services available to
24veterans.
25d. Apply for, receive, and administer federal aids, grants,
26and gifts relating to inpatient health care services for
27veterans.
28e. Work with county veteran affairs offices to inform
29veterans of benefits that may be available to veterans for
30health care services.
31f. Recommend to the department of inspections and appeals
32standards and courses of study that fulfill the requirements of
33section 272C.2C, subsection 1A.
34g. Ensure that veterans are treated by health care
35facilities with at least the same level of care as nonveterans.
-1- 1h. Encourage physicians, nurses, and other individuals
2working in health care who have military experience to work in
3Iowa.
4i. Inform Iowa residents who are veterans or currently
5serving in the military about education, benefits, and support
6available to obtain a degree or certification that would allow
7the person to become a health care worker.
8j. Collaborate with health care facilities in identifying,
9upon a person’s admission to a health care facility, the
10person’s eligibility for benefits through the United States
11department of veterans affairs, including prescription drug
12benefit eligibility, and programs with a focus on veterans.
13k. Collaborate with the department of inspections and
14appeals to identify any barriers to veterans in accessing
15prescription drug benefits designated for veterans.
16l. Assist health care facilities in amending rules and
17procedures for medication administration to allow veterans
18greater access to prescription drug benefits.
19 Sec. 2. Section 135B.1, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
20following new subsections:
21 NEW SUBSECTION. 5. “Veteran” means the same as defined in
22section 35.1.
23 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. “Veterans case manager” means the same
24as described in the provisions of section 35A.19.
25 Sec. 3. Section 135B.7, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
26following new subsections:
27 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. The department shall adopt rules
28requiring hospitals, upon identifying a person requiring
29inpatient health services as a veteran, to establish and
30implement protocols providing for all of the following:
31a. Contacting the veterans case manager regarding the
32veteran’s admission.
33b. Identifying whether the veteran is at risk for causing
34harm to the veteran’s self or others.
35c. Holding a veteran experiencing or at risk of experiencing
-2-1a mental health crisis for a period of not less than
2twenty-three hours unless a court order dictates otherwise or
3the patient is allowed to transfer to a veterans health care
4facility as defined in section 35A.19.
5d. Requiring the hospital to evaluate the veteran’s mental
6stability to determine if the veteran is a threat to the
7safety of the veteran’s self or others prior to the veteran’s
8discharge.
9e. Preventing the hospital from treating a veteran with less
10or different care than nonveteran patients solely because of a
11person’s veteran status.
12 NEW SUBSECTION. 7. The department, in consultation with the
13department of veterans affairs, shall adopt rules that provide
14that if a person is eligible for benefits through the United
15States department of veterans affairs or any other third-party
16payor, the payor of last resort for reimbursement to a hospital
17is the medical assistance program established under chapter
18249A. The rules shall also require the hospital to request
19information from a person or a person’s personal representative
20regarding the person’s veteran status and to report to the
21veterans case manager only the names of persons identified as
22potential veterans along with the names of their spouses and
23any dependents. Information reported by the hospital shall be
24verified by the department. This subsection shall not apply to
25the admission of a person for outpatient health services.
26 NEW SUBSECTION. 8. The department shall adopt rules
27that require hospitals to collaborate with the veterans case
28manager to identify barriers veterans may face in obtaining
29prescription drug benefits, and require, upon the admission
30of a person eligible for benefits through the United States
31department of veterans affairs to a hospital, the hospital
32to cooperate with the veterans case manager to assess the
33extent for which the person is eligible for prescription drug
34benefits.
35 Sec. 4. Section 272C.2C, Code 2021, is amended by adding the
-3-1following new subsection:
2 NEW SUBSECTION. 1A. The board of medicine, board of
3dentistry, board of physician assistants, board of podiatry,
4and board of nursing shall establish rules requiring a person
5licensed pursuant to section 148.3, 148C.3, 149.3, or 152.6 or
6chapter 153 to receive continuing education credits regarding
7the treatment of veterans, as defined in section 35.1, as
8a condition of license renewal. Each licensing board, in
9consultation with the veterans case manager established in
10section 35A.19, shall have the authority to determine how often
11a licensee must receive continuing education credits.
12EXPLANATION
13The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
14the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
15This bill relates to veterans health care services.
16The bill creates the position of veterans case manager
17within the department of veterans affairs. The veterans case
18manager shall be appointed by the executive director of the
19Iowa department of veterans affairs in consultation with the
20director of the department of inspections and appeals and
21the director of the department of human services, to assist
22veterans in obtaining the greatest degree of health care and
23health care benefits available and to promote policies that
24would benefit veterans seeking health care. The veterans case
25manager shall serve at the pleasure of, and report directly to,
26the executive director of the department of veterans affairs.
27The bill specifies the duties of a veterans case manager.
28The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals
29to adopt rules that require hospitals, upon identifying a
30person admitted to the hospital as a veteran, to contact the
31veterans case manager, assess whether the veteran is a danger
32to the veteran’s self or others, hold the veteran for 23 hours
33if that person is experiencing or at risk of experiencing a
34mental health crisis, assess whether the veteran is a danger to
35the veteran’s self or others prior to discharging the veteran,
-4-1and prevent the use of less or different care than nonveterans
2solely because of a person’s veteran status.
3The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals,
4in consultation with the department of veterans affairs, to
5adopt rules that provide that if a person is eligible for
6benefits through the United States department of veterans
7affairs or any other third-party payor, specifying that
8the payor of last resort for reimbursement to a hospital is
9the medical assistance program established in Code chapter
10249A. The rules shall also require the hospital to request
11information from a person or a person’s personal representative
12regarding the person’s veteran status and to report to the
13veterans case manager only the names of persons identified as
14potential veterans along with the names of their spouses and
15any dependents. Information reported by the hospital shall be
16verified by the department. These rules shall not apply to the
17admission of a person for outpatient health services.
18The bill requires the department of inspections and appeals
19to adopt rules that require hospitals to collaborate with the
20veterans case manager to identify barriers veterans may face
21in obtaining prescription drug benefits, and require, upon
22the admission of a person eligible for benefits through the
23United States department of veterans affairs to a hospital, the
24hospital to cooperate with the veterans case manager to assess
25the extent for which the person is eligible for prescription
26drug benefits.
27The bill requires the board of medicine, board of dentistry,
28board of physician assistants, board of podiatry, and board of
29nursing to establish rules requiring a person licensed under
30those boards to receive continuing education credits regarding
31the treatment of veterans as a condition of license renewal.
32Each licensing board, in consultation with the veterans case
33manager, shall have the authority to determine how often a
34licensee must receive continuing education credits.
-5-dg/rh