Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 1970 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1970 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive nursing home care in such State homes, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 10, 2025 Mrs. Miller-Meeks (for herself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive nursing home care in such State homes, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act''. SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF A STATE HOME FOR HIGH COST MEDICATIONS. Section 1745(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by striking ``Payment'' and inserting ``(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), payment''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: ``(B) In addition to payment described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, at the election of a covered State home-- ``(i) reimburse the covered State home for a costly medication; or ``(ii) furnish such costly medication to the covered State home. ``(C) In this paragraph: ``(i) The term `costly medication' means a drug or medicine for which the average wholesale price for one month's supply, plus a 3 percent transaction fee, exceeds 8.5 perce