Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act
Impact
This bill impacts existing state and federal laws by mandating that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs collaborates with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the management of health benefits for veterans. Proposed measures include enhancing access to various covered healthcare services across different facilities and reducing redundancies in the care veterans receive. The bill outlines specific goals to improve health outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs while aiming to eliminate service duplication for covered veterans.
Summary
House Bill 9399, titled the 'Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act', seeks to establish a pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aimed at enhancing the coordination of healthcare services for veterans enrolled in both the Medicare program and the VA's annual patient enrollment system. This initiative is primarily driven by the need to streamline the experience for veterans who may be navigating multiple healthcare systems, ensuring they receive efficient and effective care.
Contention
There are notable concerns about the feasibility and implementation of the pilot program, particularly regarding the integration of case management services. Critics might argue about the potential for unfunded mandates or the complexities involved in coordinating healthcare between private sector entities and government programs. Furthermore, there are expectations for evaluations using defined metrics to assess the pilot's effectiveness over a three-year period, which could lead to debates on the accuracy and reliability of such assessments against traditional benchmarks in veterans' healthcare.
Reforms the organizational structure for the Department of Transportation and Development including its duties, powers, and responsibilities of officers and employees (EN INCREASE SD EX See Note)