LINC VA Act

This Act may be cited as the Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities for Veterans Act or the LINC VA Act.

Beginning not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary shall establish a new, or enhance an existing, interoperable community integration platform to coordinate local support services for veterans through other governmental and nongovernmental organizations (in this section referred to as the pilot program).

The community integration platform established or enhanced pursuant to the pilot program shall be accessible to veterans, employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and others participating in the pilot program as determined appropriate by the Secretary and shall—

(1) enable the coordination of services such as—

(A) nutritional assistance;

(B) housing;

(C) health care, including preventive health intervention, chronic disease management, and behavioral health care;

(D) transportation;

(E) job training;

(F) child development or care;

(G) caregiving and respite care;

(H) disability assistance;

(I) suicide prevention;

(J) sexual assault services;

(K) legal aid;

(L) transition programs of the Department of Defense; and

(M) other services, as determined by the Secretary;

(2) prioritize connectivity with appropriate existing technology networks developed by public or private organizations that comply with, as applicable, standards adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 3004 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300jj–14), for the purposes described in paragraph (1);

(3) ensure that—

(A) reasonable measures are taken to promote connectivity and interoperable exchange among covered entities; and

(B) appropriate privacy and security protections are in place, in accordance with applicable Federal and State privacy laws;

(4) connect covered entities for purposes of communication, service coordination and consumer assistance, referral and capacity management, outcome tracking and reporting, and related services;

(5) provide technical assistance and support covered entities in connecting and participating in the community integration platform;

(6) collect information from veterans served under the pilot program regarding social determinants of health using a standardized risk assessment or screening tool, which shall include standardized definitions for identifying social determinants of health needs identified in the ICD–10 diagnostic codes Z55 through Z63 and Z75 (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) that incorporate measures for quantifying the relative severity of any such social determinant of health need identified in a veteran;

(7) incorporate screenings used to collect information under paragraph (6) into routine care provided to veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary; and

(8) be accessible via a web-based platform for all veterans and via a non-web-based alternative platform or process for veterans who are unable to easily and reliably access the web-based platform.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the pilot program at not fewer than five medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In selecting facilities under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure the selection of a variety of different types of facilities, including—

(A) frontier facilities;

(B) under-resourced facilities; and

(C) facilities at which there are existing efforts to coordinate with community resources.

In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate with existing community networks.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall issue guidance to States that includes options for State Medicaid programs to coordinate and integrate medical assistance provided under a State plan or waiver under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) with services for veterans provided under the pilot program, as well as a template for States to use to request or modify Medicaid waiver authority under section 1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315) for such purpose.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall track—

(A) the accuracy of referrals of veterans to community networks under the pilot program;

(B) the response time of providers to which such veterans are referred; and

(C) the outcome of the initial meeting by a veteran and the provider to which the veteran is referred.

The Secretary may track the information required under paragraph (1) in any medium determined appropriate by the Secretary.

Not later than three years after amounts are first appropriated to carry out the pilot program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report indicating the social service needs of veterans reflected by the use of services under the community integration platform established or enhanced under the pilot program, including an assessment of—

(1) the need for services that is being met through such platform; and

(2) the need for services that is not being met through such platform.

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an evaluation that measures the overall impact of the community integration platform established or enhanced under the pilot program with respect to—

(A) changes in individual and population health outcomes among veterans;

(B) changes in access to health care or social services among veterans; and

(C) such other factors as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

Not later than four years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall—

(i) submit to Congress a report on the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1);

(ii) make such report publicly available; and

(iii) based on such evaluation, make recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on how to improve and sustain the community integration platform established or enhanced under the pilot program.

The report under subparagraph (A)(i) shall include data on—

(i) what resources under the pilot program are being utilized the most;

(ii) what requests for services under the pilot program cannot be met; and

(iii) the impact of the provision of services under the pilot program on health outcomes of veterans.

In this section:

The term community integration platform means an interoperable platform used to enable the coordination, alignment, and connection of covered entities at the local level for purposes of communication, service coordination, and referral management of services, with respect to services specified in subsection (b)(1).

The term covered entity means any—

(A) community-based organization that—

(i) accepts referrals from health care organizations; and

(ii) provides services specified in subsection (b)(1).

(B) public or private health care provider organization;

(C) public or private funded payor of health care services, including home- or community-based services;

(D) State, local, territorial, or Tribal health and social services agency;

(E) State public housing authority or housing finance agency;

(F) public health information exchange or public health information network, as defined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or

(G) other similar entity, as determined by the Secretary.

The term State means a State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall collect from veterans enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, as part of routine screenings of such veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary, information related to social determinants that may factor into the health of such veterans.

The information collected under subsection (a) shall include standardized definitions for identifying social determinants of health needs identified in the ICD–10 diagnostic codes Z55 through Z63 and Z75 (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act).

Definitions included under paragraph (1) with respect to identifying social determinants of health needs shall incorporate measures for quantifying the relative severity of any such social determinant of health need identified in an individual.