H.R. 1970 — Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act

This section requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), at the election of a covered State home, to either reimburse the home for or furnish a costly medication in addition to standard per diem payments under 38 U.S.C. §1745(a)(3) for nursing home care provided to veterans. (As background, State homes are VA-approved facilities that provide nursing home, domiciliary, or hospital care to eligible veterans and receive per diem reimbursements for such care.) A costly medication is a drug where the average wholesale price for a one-month supply plus a 3% transaction fee exceeds 8.5% of the VA per diem payment for the veteran's care that month; a covered State home is one that provides such a medication under a nursing home care contract.