[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2734 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2734

   To amend section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, to provide 
   medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as 
                      caregivers to such veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2009

Mr. Perriello introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, to provide 
   medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as 
                      caregivers to such veterans.

    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 ``Health Care for Family Caregivers 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. MEDICAL CARE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF DISABLED VETERANS WHO SERVE 
              AS CAREGIVERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``and'' at the 
                end; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(4) a family caregiver as described in subsection 
        (e)(2),'';
            (2) in the third sentence of subsection (b), by striking 
        ``dependent or survivor'' and inserting ``dependent, survivor, 
        or family caregiver''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e)(1) A family caregiver shall not be subject to deductibles, 
premiums, co-payments, cost sharing, or other fees for medical care 
provided to such caregiver under this section.
    ``(2) A family caregiver described in this paragraph is an 
individual who--
            ``(A) with respect to a veteran, meets the definition of 
        the term `family caregiver' under section 1701(11);
            ``(B) is the primary family caregiver for such veteran and 
        such veteran receives compensation under subsections (r) or (s) 
        of section 1114; and
            ``(C) has no entitlement to care or services under a 
        health-plan contract as defined under section 1725(f)(2) 
        (determined, in the case of a health-plan contract as defined 
        in subsection (f)(2)(B) or (f)(2)(C) of such section, without 
        regard to any requirement or limitation relating to eligibility 
        for care or services from any department or agency of the 
        United States).''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 1701 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(10) The term `caregiver services' means noninstitutional 
        extended care (as used in section 1701(6) of this title), 
        including homemaker and home health aid services.
            ``(11) The term `family caregiver' means an individual 
        who--
                    ``(A) is a member of the family (including parents, 
                spouses, children, siblings, step-family members, and 
                extended family members) of a disabled veteran;
                    ``(B) provides caregiver services to such veteran 
                for such disability; and
                    ``(C) may or may not reside with such veteran.''.
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