Policy Corner: April 20, 2018

President Signs State Veterans Home Adult Health Care Bill

On March 27, President Trump signed S.324 (Public Law No: 115-159), the State Veterans Home Adult Day Health Care Improvement Act of 2017, to pay for medical supervision model adult day health care for a veteran for whom the state home is not receiving VA nursing home care payments. Sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), veterans must need such care either specifically for a service-connected disability, in order to receive coordinated physician services, dental services, nursing services, the administration of drugs, and such other requirements as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may determine.

House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Sends Letter to VA on Choice Program

Last week, House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs, urging VA to address issues related to its Choice Program contracts. In his letter, he stated, “It is inexcusable that veterans still encounter delays and health care providers face mountains of unpaid bills because of administrative dysfunction. If VA fails to fix these contractual problems, the new community care program may repeat the same failures that continue to plague the Choice Program.” Enacting the community care consolidation legislation is a high priority of Rep. Bergman, which would consolidate all community care authorities into a single cohesive program to deliver hospital care, medical services and extended care services to veterans in their communities. Therefore, he is urging VA to fix issues related to traditional non-VA care and the Choices Program in order to do so.

BIAA Joins Organizations Weighing in on Proposed Rules Regarding Insurance

This week, the Brain Injury Association of American (BIAA) signed on to two letters with regard to a proposed federal rule issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor regarding short-term limited health insurance plans. BIAA joined 113 organizations representing millions of people with serious, acute, and chronic diseases and disabilities, as well as their caregivers, expressing concerns in an April 17 letter about the impact the proposed rule will have both on the health insurance marketplaces and the individuals represented by the organizations. While short-term plans can offer less expensive coverage, they are not required to adhere to important standards, including the 10 essential health benefit categories, guaranteed issue, out-of-pocket maximums, age-rating protections, and many other critical consumer protections.

As a member of the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR), BIAA expressed similar concerns that the Proposed Rule would leave adults and children, particularly those with disabilities and chronic health conditions, with less comprehensive coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs or, in some circumstances, no coverage at all. The benefit packages provided by these plans will likely be more restrictive than plans in the marketplaces, which may cause adverse selection that will place even more inflationary pressure on marketplace plans, with the net effect of driving insurance costs higher for those with plans that are required to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections and essential health benefits. Of particular concern is that these short-term plans could decide not to cover rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices or significantly limit the scope of these benefits.

BIAA gratefully acknowledges the Centre for Neuro Skills and Avanir Pharmaceuticals for their support for legislative action.