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.

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