[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3103 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3103

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide partial payment for nursing home care to 
eligible veterans at a non-Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home 
            of the veteran's choice, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2007

  Mrs. Drake 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 Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide partial payment for nursing home care to 
eligible veterans at a non-Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home 
            of the veteran's choice, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veteran's Choice in Nursing Home 
Care Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTRACTS FOR PARTIAL PAYMENT FOR SERVICES AT CERTAIN NON-
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS NURSING HOMES.

    Section 1720 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g)(1) The Secretary shall, with respect to a veteran eligible 
for nursing home care under section 1710A of this title, and may, with 
respect to a veteran eligible for nursing home care under section 1710 
of this title, provide such care by entering into an agreement with a 
non-Department nursing home of the veteran's choice upon the 
application of the veteran. Under such an agreement, the Secretary 
shall agree to pay the non-Department nursing home for the provision of 
such care an amount not to exceed the lesser of the amount that is 
equal to the average rate paid by the Secretary to non-Department 
nursing homes pursuant to contracts under this section or the amount 
actually charged for such care by the nursing home with which the 
Secretary enters into an agreement under this paragraph.
    ``(2) An application submitted by a veteran to receive nursing home 
care in a non-Department nursing home of the veteran's choice under 
this subsection shall include assurances by the veteran that the 
veteran shall assume responsibility for any amount owed such nursing 
home for such care that exceeds the amount required to be paid by the 
Secretary under paragraph (1), and that the veteran is aware of the 
amount to be owed to the nursing home by the veteran.
    ``(3) If a veteran does not submit an application to receive 
nursing home care in a non-Department nursing home of the veteran's 
choice under this subsection, the Secretary shall provide nursing home 
care to the veteran in such manner and to such extent as would 
otherwise be provided under this chapter.''.
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