Add §361-a, Exec L; add §18-a, Veterans' Services L
Relates to veterans health care; creates a veteran health care review to ensure veterans and their families have access to health and mental health treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicide prevention.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7538--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 13, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STERN, SIMPSON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- recommitted to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the veterans' services law, in
relation to veterans health care
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 361-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 361-a. Veteran health care review. 1. The division, in consultation
4 with the department of health, shall undertake a study regarding veteran
5 health care as provided in this section. Such study shall be completed
6 and reported to the legislature on or before December thirty-first, two
7 thousand twenty-three.
8 2. The veteran health care review shall comprehensively study efforts
9 that can be made to improve veterans' healthcare in the state including,
10 but not be limited to:
11 (a) increasing access by veterans and their families to health care
12 coverage and services;
13 (b) leveraging existing resources and structures in areas where veter-
14 ans and their families are able to easily access such resources;
15 (c) ensuring the needs of veterans and their families are incorporated
16 in all state efforts to expand access to affordable, quality health
17 care;
18 (d) ensuring veterans and their families have access to mental health
19 treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and
20 suicide prevention;
21 (e) identifying all federal and other health benefits, coverage, and
22 services available to veterans and their families; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10702-04-2
A. 7538--A 2
1 (f) more effectively coordinating with other local, state, and federal
2 departments and agencies, health care providers, and health insurance
3 programs to help veterans and their beneficiaries apply for coverage
4 under such programs, including helping veterans overcome barriers within
5 the health care system, to ensure enrollment in health plans and effec-
6 tive delivery and coordination of health services.
7 3. As part of the study, the division shall also:
8 (a) evaluate whether the needs of veterans and their families are met
9 by existing health care and veterans' programs;
10 (b) provide recommendations for steps that could be taken to increase
11 access to affordable, quality health care;
12 (c) consider the effects of designating health care navigators who
13 would assist veterans in navigating the complexities of accessing
14 healthcare benefits and services;
15 (d) evaluate the extent to which veterans in the state are experienc-
16 ing delays in the receipt of healthcare services and ways to provide
17 assistance to those veterans having difficulty receiving timely or
18 adequate care; and
19 (e) evaluate the potential effectiveness of healthcare choice
20 accounts, deposits into which shall be deductible from the veteran's
21 state personal income tax, for veteran members of the organized militia,
22 particularly those who served on active duty in a combat zone designated
23 by the president of the United States and have a current disability that
24 was incurred or aggravated as a result of such service. For purposes of
25 this section the term "healthcare choice account" shall mean an individ-
26 ual savings account, owned by a veteran for the purpose of obtaining
27 healthcare from the provider of their choice, when after making applica-
28 tion to or attempting to schedule an appointment for healthcare services
29 through the federal veterans health administration the veteran has been
30 unable to receive such services in a timely manner.
31 § 2. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new section
32 18-a to read as follows:
33 § 18-a. Veteran health care review. 1. The division, in consultation
34 with the department of health, shall undertake a study regarding veter-
35 an health care as provided in this section. Such study shall be
36 completed and reported to the legislature on or before December thirty-
37 first, two thousand twenty-three.
38 2. The veteran health care review shall comprehensively study efforts
39 that can be made to improve veterans' healthcare in the state including,
40 but not be limited to:
41 (a) increasing access by veterans and their families to health
42 care coverage and services;
43 (b) leveraging existing resources and structures in areas where veter-
44 ans and their families are able to easily access such resources;
45 (c) ensuring the needs of veterans and their families are incorpo-
46 rated in all state efforts to expand access to affordable, quality
47 health care;
48 (d) ensuring veterans and their families have access to mental
49 health treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder,
50 depression, and suicide prevention;
51 (e) identifying all federal and other health benefits, coverage, and
52 services available to veterans and their families; and
53 (f) more effectively coordinating with other local, state, and federal
54 departments and agencies, health care providers, and health insurance
55 programs to help veterans and their beneficiaries apply for coverage
56 under such programs, including helping veterans overcome barriers within
A. 7538--A 3
1 the health care system, to ensure enrollment in health plans and effec-
2 tive delivery and coordination of health services.
3 3. As part of the study, the division shall also:
4 (a) evaluate whether the needs of veterans and their families are met
5 by existing health care and veterans' programs;
6 (b) provide recommendations for steps that could be taken to increase
7 access to affordable, quality health care;
8 (c) consider the effects of designating health care navigators who
9 would assist veterans in navigating the complexities of accessing
10 healthcare benefits and services;
11 (d) evaluate the extent to which veterans in the state are experienc-
12 ing delays in the receipt of healthcare services and ways to provide
13 assistance to those veterans having difficulty receiving timely or
14 adequate care; and
15 (e) evaluate the potential effectiveness of healthcare choice
16 accounts, deposits into which shall be deductible from the veteran's
17 state personal income tax, for veteran members of the organized militia,
18 particularly those who served on active duty in a combat zone designated
19 by the president of the United States and have a current disability that
20 was incurred or aggravated as a result of such service. For purposes of
21 this section the term "healthcare choice account" shall mean an individ-
22 ual savings account, owned by a veteran for the purpose of obtaining
23 healthcare from the provider of their choice, when after making applica-
24 tion to or attempting to schedule an appointment for healthcare services
25 through the federal veterans health administration the veteran has been
26 unable to receive such services in a timely manner.
27 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
28 have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act shall
29 take effect on the same date and in the same manner as section 2 of part
30 PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 takes effect.
