STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4201 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 13, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. STERN, SIMPSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 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-five. 8 2. The veteran health care review shall comprehensively study efforts 9 that can be made to improve veterans' health care in the state includ- 10 ing, 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 23 (f) more effectively coordinating with other local, state, and federal 24 departments and agencies, health care providers, and health insurance 25 programs to help veterans and their beneficiaries apply for coverage EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02560-01-3

A. 4201 2 1 under such programs, including helping veterans overcome barriers within 2 the health care system, to ensure enrollment in health plans and effec- 3 tive delivery and coordination of health services. 4 3. As part of the study, the division shall also: 5 (a) evaluate whether the needs of veterans and their families are met 6 by existing health care and veterans' programs; 7 (b) provide recommendations for steps that could be taken to increase 8 access to affordable, quality health care; 9 (c) consider the effects of designating health care navigators who 10 would assist veterans in navigating the complexities of accessing health 11 care benefits and services; 12 (d) evaluate the extent to which veterans in the state are experienc- 13 ing delays in the receipt of health care services and ways to provide 14 assistance to those veterans having difficulty receiving timely or 15 adequate care; and 16 (e) evaluate the potential effectiveness of health care choice 17 accounts, deposits into which shall be deductible from the veteran's 18 state personal income tax, for veteran members of the organized militia, 19 particularly those who served on active duty in a combat zone designated 20 by the president of the United States and have a current disability that 21 was incurred or aggravated as a result of such service. For purposes of 22 this section the term "health care choice account" shall mean an indi- 23 vidual savings account, owned by a veteran for the purpose of obtaining 24 health care from the provider of their choice, when after making appli- 25 cation to or attempting to schedule an appointment for health care 26 services through the federal veterans health administration the veteran 27 has been unable to receive such services in a timely manner. 28 § 2. The veterans' services law is amended by adding a new section 29 18-a to read as follows: 30 § 18-a. Veteran health care review. 1. The division, in consultation 31 with the department of health, shall undertake a study regarding veter- 32 an health care as provided in this section. Such study shall be 33 completed and reported to the legislature on or before December thirty- 34 first, two thousand twenty-five. 35 2. The veteran health care review shall comprehensively study efforts 36 that can be made to improve veterans' health care in the state includ- 37 ing, but not be limited to: 38 (a) increasing access by veterans and their families to health 39 care coverage and services; 40 (b) leveraging existing resources and structures in areas where veter- 41 ans and their families are able to easily access such resources; 42 (c) ensuring the needs of veterans and their families are incorpo- 43 rated in all state efforts to expand access to affordable, quality 44 health care; 45 (d) ensuring veterans and their families have access to mental 46 health treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder, 47 depression, and suicide prevention; 48 (e) identifying all federal and other health benefits, coverage, and 49 services available to veterans and their families; and 50 (f) more effectively coordinating with other local, state, and federal 51 departments and agencies, health care providers, and health insurance 52 programs to help veterans and their beneficiaries apply for coverage 53 under such programs, including helping veterans overcome barriers within 54 the health care system, to ensure enrollment in health plans and effec- 55 tive delivery and coordination of health services. 56 3. As part of the study, the division shall also:

A. 4201 3 1 (a) evaluate whether the needs of veterans and their families are met 2 by existing health care and veterans' programs; 3 (b) provide recommendations for steps that could be taken to increase 4 access to affordable, quality health care; 5 (c) consider the effects of designating health care navigators who 6 would assist veterans in navigating the complexities of accessing health 7 care benefits and services; 8 (d) evaluate the extent to which veterans in the state are experienc- 9 ing delays in the receipt of health care services and ways to provide 10 assistance to those veterans having difficulty receiving timely or 11 adequate care; and 12 (e) evaluate the potential effectiveness of health care choice 13 accounts, deposits into which shall be deductible from the veteran's 14 state personal income tax, for veteran members of the organized militia, 15 particularly those who served on active duty in a combat zone designated 16 by the president of the United States and have a current disability that 17 was incurred or aggravated as a result of such service. For purposes of 18 this section the term "health care choice account" shall mean an indi- 19 vidual savings account, owned by a veteran for the purpose of obtaining 20 health care from the provider of their choice, when after making appli- 21 cation to or attempting to schedule an appointment for health care 22 services through the federal veterans health administration the veteran 23 has been unable to receive such services in a timely manner. 24 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 25 have become a law; provided, however, that section two of this act shall 26 take effect on the same date and in the same manner as section 2 of part 27 PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 takes effect.

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