I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1970
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to
State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive
nursing home care in such State homes, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH10, 2025
Mrs. M
ILLER-MEEKS(for herself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes
for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain
costly medications provided to veterans who receive nurs-
ing home care in such State homes, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Veterans 4
Essential Medications Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF A STATE HOME FOR HIGH 1
COST MEDICATIONS. 2
Section 1745(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, 3
is amended— 4
(1) by striking ‘‘Payment’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) 5
Subject to subparagraph (B), payment’’; and 6
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-7
paragraphs: 8
‘‘(B) In addition to payment described in subpara-9
graph (A), the Secretary shall, at the election of a covered 10
State home— 11
‘‘(i) reimburse the covered State home for a 12
costly medication; or 13
‘‘(ii) furnish such costly medication to the cov-14
ered State home. 15
‘‘(C) In this paragraph: 16
‘‘(i) The term ‘costly medication’ means a drug 17
or medicine for which the average wholesale price for 18
one month’s supply, plus a 3 percent transaction fee, 19
exceeds 8.5 percent of the payment under subpara-20
graph (A) by the Secretary to a covered State home 21
for care provided to the veteran who receives such 22
costly medication during such month. 23
‘‘(ii) The term ‘covered State home’ means a 24
State home that, in the course of nursing home care 25
provided pursuant to a contract (or agreement) 26
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under paragraph (1), provides to a veteran a costly 1
medication.’’. 2
Æ
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