[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6414. Mr. HEINRICH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. 10__. REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED 
                   SERVICES FOR VETERANS.

       (a) Homemaker and Home Health Aide Program.--Section 
     1720L(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) On and after the date of the enactment of the 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, the 
     Secretary--
       ``(A) in the case of any reimbursement rates for services 
     furnished under the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program 
     that were reduced after December 31, 2025, shall reinstate 
     the rates in effect on such date; and
       ``(B) may not reduce the reimbursement rates for such 
     services to an amount that is less than the rates in effect 
     on such date, unless the Secretary notifies Congress of such 
     reduction not later than 90 days before such reduction takes 
     effect.
       ``(4) Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2027, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
     shall submit to Congress a report--
       ``(A) specifying whether the number of providers furnishing 
     services under the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program is 
     adequate to meet veteran demand for such services;
       ``(B) identifying any regions where provider participation 
     in furnishing such services is inadequate to meet such 
     demand; and
       ``(C) identifying how the Secretary plans to ensure 
     adequate provider participation in furnishing such services 
     to ensure the needs of veterans for such care are met.''.
       (b) Report on Reimbursement Rates.--Not later than 90 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that 
     includes--
       (1) the data sources used to establish reimbursement rates 
     for services under subsections (c) and (e) of section 1720L 
     of title 38, United States Code, including any use of data 
     from the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), the Medicaid program 
     under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), or the 
     private market;
       (2) the weighting and adjustment factors applied to such 
     data;
       (3) the role of any contractors or third-party 
     administrators in determining such rates;
       (4) a description of any consultation with providers of 
     home and community-based services in establishing such rates, 
     including how such input was solicited, considered, and 
     incorporated; and
       (5) a description of any formulas, models, or analytical 
     methods used to establish such rates, including any 
     variables, assumptions, weighting, and any additional data 
     sources or factors considered by the Secretary.
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