,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #igeb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #af1 #bjbf,ms4 
,leger ,fernandez 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,vasquez1 ,ms4 ,stansbury1 ,mr4         
,cuellar1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,castro of 
,texas1 ,mr4 ,vicente ,gonzalez of      
,texas1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,ms4 ,garcia of  
,texas1 and ,mr4 ,green of ,texas7      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to ensure fair reimbursement rates for  
home and community-based services       
furnished by the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,protecting         
,home-,based ,care for ,rural ,veterans 
,act of #bjbf4  #b4 ,reimbursement rates
 for home and community-based services  
7a7 ,homemaker and ,home ,health ,aide  
program ,section #agbj,l7c7 of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  

by adding at the end the following3     
7#c7 ,on and after the date of the      
enactment of the ,protecting            
,home-,based ,care for ,rural ,veterans 
,act of #bjbf1 the ,secretary-- 7,a7 in 
the case of any reimbursement rates for 
services furnished under the ,homemaker 
and ,home ,health ,aide program that    
were reduced after ,december #ca1 #bjbe1
 shall reinstate the rates in effect on 
such date2 and  7,b7 may not reduce the 
reimbursement rates for such services to
 an amount that is less than the rates  
in effect on such date1 unless the      
,secretary notifies ,congress of such   
reduction not later than #ij days before
 such reduction takes effect4  7#d7 ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date of 
the enactment of the ,protecting        
,home-,based ,care for ,rural ,veterans 
,act of #bjbf1 and annually thereafter1 
the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress
 a report--  7,a7 specifying whether the
 number of providers furnishing services
 under the ,homemaker and ,home ,health 

,aide program is adequate to meet       
veteran demand for such services2  7,b7 
identifying any regions where provider  
participation in furnishing such        
services is inadequate to meet such     
demand2 and  7,c7 identifying how the   
,secretary plans to ensure adequate     
provider participation in furnishing    
such services to ensure the needs of    
veterans for such care are met4  4  7b7 
,report on reimbursement rates ,not     
later than #ij days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report that       
includes--  7#a7 the data sources used  
to establish reimbursement rates for    
services under subsections 7c7 and 7e7  
of section #agbj,l of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 including any use of    
data from the ,medicare program under   
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq471 the 
,medicaid program under title ,,xix of  
such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471

 or the private market2  7#b7 the       
weighting and adjustment factors applied
 to such data2  7#c7 the role of any    
contractors or third-party              
administrators in determining such      
rates2  7#d7 a description of any       
consultation with providers of home and 
community-based services in establishing
 such rates1 including how such input   
was solicited1 considered1 and          
incorporated2 and  7#e7 a description of
 any formulas1 models1 or analytical    
methods used to establish such rates1   
including any variables1 assumptions1   
weighting1 and any additional data      
sources or factors considered by the    
,secretary4