(a) Pilot program on establishment or enhancement of community integration platform for veterans
(1) In general
Commencing not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, 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 ).
(2) Elements of pilot program
In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure that the community integration platform established or enhanced under the pilot program—
permits veterans to identify and connect with covered entities that furnish covered services;
permits covered entities to identify and connect with veterans in need of covered services;
utilizes, to the extent practicable, existing interoperable technology networks;
prioritizes 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 provision of covered services;
ensures that—
reasonable measures are taken to promote connectivity and interoperable exchange among covered entities and between covered entities and veterans; and
appropriate privacy and security protections are in place, in accordance with applicable Federal and State privacy law;
is accessible by employees of the Department, covered entities, and veterans;
connects covered entities and veterans for purposes of communication, service coordination, and consumer assistance, referral and capacity management, outcome tracking and reporting, and related services; and
is 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.
(3) Locations
(A) Initial locations
The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program at not fewer than five medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs selected by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program.
(B) Expansion
The Secretary may expand beyond initial sites for the pilot program selected under paragraph (1) not before two years after the date of enactment, not before thirty days after briefing the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of the expansion plan, and after demonstrated success.
(C) Variety of facilities
In selecting facilities under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure the selection of a variety of different types of facilities, including—
frontier facilities;
under-resourced facilities;
facilities at which there are existing efforts to coordinate with community resources; and
facilities located in communities with an established community-based veteran service coordination network capable of integration with the pilot program.
(4) Procurement of technology
In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure full and open competition in the procurement of any services or technology and shall not enter into an exclusive national contract for the operation of the community integration platform under the pilot program. In procuring technology under this section, the Secretary may prioritize, to the maximum extent practicable, technologies, platforms, or capabilities that are already deployed, validated, interoperable, or otherwise in operational use within medical centers or other components of the Department, unless the Secretary determines and documents that an alternative solution would better achieve the purposes of this section.
(5) Application process
(A) In general
The Secretary may require covered entities that seek to participate in the pilot program to submit to the Secretary an application therefore in such form, in such manner, and containing such commitments and information as the Secretary considers necessary to carry out this section.
(B) Review
(i) In general
The Secretary shall review the applications of covered entities submitted under subparagraph (A) to ensure that the participation of such entities would be safe and appropriate for veterans participating in the pilot program.
(ii) Due diligence
In reviewing applications under clause (i), the Secretary shall conduct due diligence consistent with how the Secretary conducts due diligence for public-private partnerships under other laws administered by the Secretary.
(6) Screening and tracking of participants
(A) In general
The Secretary shall require veterans participating in the community integration platform under the pilot program to provide information regarding social determinants of health using the ICD–10 diagnostic codes Z55 through Z63 and Z75 (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) in a standardized risk assessment or screening tool and such other information as the Secretary considers necessary to administer the pilot program.
(B) Informed consent
Information collected under the pilot program with respect to a veteran shall be obtained with the informed consent of the veteran and used solely for purposes of care coordination, service delivery, or program evaluation under the pilot program.
(C) Tracking of information
(i) In general
The Secretary shall track—
(ii) Tracking by entities
The Secretary may require covered entities participating in the pilot program to track the information required under clause (i) in a medium determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(7) Coordination and integration of programs
(A) Coordination with existing networks
In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall coordinate with existing community networks.
(B) Coordination and integration with State medicaid programs
The Secretary may consult and coordinate with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and with States regarding existing Federal and State programs, but nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer, direct, or modify a State Medicaid program or waiver.
(8) Performance benchmarks
The Secretary shall establish performance benchmarks for the pilot program, including measures of referral completion, timeliness of service connection, and veteran-reported satisfaction.
(9) Report and briefings
(A) Report
Not later than three years after the commencement of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report analyzing the needs of veterans for covered services reflected by the use of such services under the community integration platform under the pilot program, including an assessment of—
the need for such services that is being met through such platform; and
the need for such services that is not being met through such platform.
(B) Briefing on entities not selected
Not later than 180 days after the commencement of the pilot program, and not less frequently than once every 180 days thereafter until the conclusion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the covered entities that submitted an application to participate in the pilot program but were not selected for participation and the reason those entities were not selected.
(10) Comptroller General evaluation, report, and recommendations
(A) Evaluation
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—
changes in individual and population health outcomes among veterans;
changes in access to health care or social services among veterans; and
such other factors as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.
(B) Report and recommendations
(i) In general
Not later than four years after the commencement of the pilot program, the Comptroller General shall—
(ii) Elements of report
The report under clause (i)(I) shall include data on—
(11) Limitations
The Secretary may not use the pilot program established under subsection (a) to supplant services otherwise required to be furnished by the Department under title 38, United States Code.
No covered entity participating in the pilot program established under subsection (a) may receive access to personally identifiable information, protected health information, or social determinants information of a veteran without the veteran’s informed written consent, and such information may be used only for the specific referral or service authorized by the veteran.
(12) Definitions
In this subsection:
(A) Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress means the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(B) Community integration platform
The term community integration platform means an interoperable platform or network of interoperable systems used to enable the coordination, alignment, and connection of covered entities and veterans at the local level for purposes of communication, service coordination, and referral management of covered services.
(C) Covered entity
The term covered entity means any of the following entities or providers that have entered into an agreement with the Secretary to participate in the pilot program:
A community-based organization that—
A public or private health care provider organization.
A public or private funded payor of health care services, including home- or community-based services.
A State, local, territorial, or Tribal health or social services agency.
A State public housing authority or housing finance agency.
A public health information exchange or public health information network, as defined by the Secretary.
A faith-based service provider.
Any other similar entity, as determined by the Secretary.
(D) Covered services
The term covered services means any of the following:
Nutritional assistance.
Housing.
Health care, including preventive health intervention, chronic disease management, and behavioral health care.
Transportation.
Job training and employment.
Child development or care.
Caregiving and respite care.
Disability assistance.
Suicide prevention.
Sexual assault services.
Legal aid.
Transition assistance for veterans newly separated or discharged from active military, naval, air, or space service (as defined in section 101(24) of title 38, United States Code).
Assistance with utilities necessary for safe habitation.
Other services directly related to health care access, suicide prevention, homelessness prevention, food insecurity, transportation to health care, or assistance separating from military service and reentering civilian life, as expressly authorized under laws administered by the Secretary.
(E) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(F) State
The term State has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(b) Collection of information from veterans related to social determinants of health
(1) In general
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.
(2) Social determinants of health
(A) In general
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).
(B) Incorporation of measures
Definitions included under subparagraph (A) 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.