Department of Veterans Affairs May 15, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its medical regulations concerning eligibility for the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program. The HCHV program provides per diem payments to non-VA community-based facilities that provide housing, outreach services, case management services, and rehabilitative services, and may provide care and/or treatment to homeless veterans who are enrolled in or eligible for VA health care. The proposed rule would modify VA's HCHV regulations to conform to changes enacted in the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. Specifically, the proposed rule would remove the requirement that homeless veterans be diagnosed with a serious mental illness or substance use disorder to qualify for the HCHV program. This change would make the program available to all homeless veterans who are enrolled in or eligible for VA health care. The proposed rule would also update the definition of homeless to match in part the one used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The proposed rule would further clarify that the services provided by the HCHV program through non-VA community-based providers must include case management services, including non-clinical case management, as appropriate.