By Counts, Delisi, Moreno of El Paso, Hawley, H.C.R. No. 275
Noriega
77R14714 CCK-F
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, State veterans homes represent a unique partnership
1-2 among the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the State of
1-3 Texas, and providers of skilled health care for the men and women
1-4 to whom we owe an immense debt of gratitude for their patriotic
1-5 service; and
1-6 WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a
1-7 state veterans home program in 1997 and has authorized issuance of
1-8 revenue bonds to construct four homes that have been established in
1-9 Temple, Floresville, Big Spring, and Bonham; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Chapter 164, Natural Resources Code, vests the
1-11 Veterans' Land Board with the responsibility to build, manage, and
1-12 oversee the operation of state veterans homes in Texas; and
1-13 WHEREAS, Texas is challenged by a large and growing
1-14 population of veterans over the age of 65 who may require the
1-15 long-term skilled care provided by state veterans homes; and
1-16 WHEREAS, Current VA funding policies for the care of veterans
1-17 in private nursing homes differs significantly from those governing
1-18 care to veterans in state veterans homes; and
1-19 WHEREAS, There are veterans who have expressed interest in
1-20 residence at a Texas state veterans home but who are unable to meet
1-21 the financial requirements for admission and thereby are denied the
1-22 opportunity to receive quality long-term care by that means
1-23 compared to VA-funded care in a private nursing home; and
1-24 WHEREAS, VA guidelines are interpreted differently from state
2-1 to state and from facility to facility; such differences may cause
2-2 unequal treatment, financial difficulty, and limitations to quality
2-3 care among this nation's many deserving veterans; and
2-4 WHEREAS, The VA guidelines on the provision of prescription
2-5 drug benefits by state veterans homes are unclear and open to
2-6 discretionary interpretation, which can act to significantly
2-7 increase the cost of medications and put an additional burden on
2-8 the State of Texas and its state veterans home program; and
2-9 WHEREAS, The VA has advised that a veteran entering a state
2-10 veterans home surrenders the primary care relationship with his or
2-11 her VA physician, despite the fact that VA medical centers permit
2-12 the doctor-client relationship to continue; the consequence of this
2-13 loss is to subject veterans and their families to confusion and
2-14 economic hardship; and
2-15 WHEREAS, The Veterans' Land Board recognizes the need to
2-16 continue and expand the use of Texas state veterans homes to
2-17 provide quality skilled nursing care to veterans of all economic
2-18 levels and varying needs of health care; now, therefore, be it
2-19 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-20 hereby strongly urge the Congress of the United States to take
2-21 immediate steps to clarify its intent regarding the U.S. Department
2-22 of Veterans Affairs guidelines for veterans care in the 50 states,
2-23 and to remove any ambiguous language in current law that yields
2-24 varied and unequal interpretations; and, be it further
2-25 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
2-26 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
2-27 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
3-1 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the
3-2 Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
3-3 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
3-4 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.