S. 1912: Protecting Veteran Community Care Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, titled the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act, aims to improve access to mental health care and substance use services for veterans through the Veterans Community Care Program. It primarily seeks to address gaps in mental health services available to veterans who may not be able to access Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities or programs in a timely manner. Here are the main components of the bill:

Background Findings

The bill begins by recognizing several important points:

The VA MISSION Act, enacted in 2018, was designed to provide veterans with access to community health care providers.
Some veterans struggle to access mental health treatment at VA facilities and may face long wait times, which can be detrimental, especially in crisis situations.
Telehealth is a valuable option but is not a complete substitute for in-person care.
Veteran suicide rates remain a significant concern, signaling the need for improved mental health service availability.

Expansion of the Community Care Program

The bill proposes to expand the Veterans Community Care Program to allow veterans seeking mental health or substance use services to access community care if:

They meet the criteria for priority admission to a VA mental health treatment program, but the VA cannot accommodate their admission in a timely manner.
They request these services, but the VA cannot provide them promptly according to its access standards.

This expansion means that eligible veterans will have more options to receive necessary mental health treatments in a timely manner.

Minimum Standards for Services

The bill establishes minimum standards for community facilities providing mental health or substance use services to veterans, including:

Programs must be licensed and accredited by appropriate state bodies.
Accreditation from recognized organizations catering to behavioral health must be in place to ensure quality of care.

These standards aim to ensure that veterans receive care that meets a defined level of quality.

Modification of Access Standards

Within 90 days of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to develop or modify existing access standards for mental health care to ensure that they align with those for other specialty care under the program. The new standards should not make accessing mental health care more difficult than accessing other types of care.

Prohibition on Limitation of Access

The bill also includes provisions to prevent misuse of wait times or access standards to deny care or services to veterans. Specifically, it states that:

A veteran cannot be deemed ineligible for care solely because the designated providers cannot meet the required wait times.
If multiple care options are available, veterans should be allowed to choose their preferred option.

This aspect of the bill aims to protect veterans from administrative hurdles that could delay or prevent them from receiving necessary care.

Development of Community Care Metrics

The bill calls for the establishment of metrics to assess the community care program, including:

The number of care requests made by veterans.
The approval and denial rates for these requests.
Data on appeals and the eligibility criteria that were used.
Specific metrics related to mental health care requests and emergency care.

These metrics would enable better monitoring of the effectiveness and accessibility of the program.

Limitations on Future Modifications

Finally, the bill stipulates that any future modifications to the community care access standards by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs cannot take effect without a joint resolution from Congress. This serves as a check on the ability to alter access standards without legislative oversight.