text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Health Care Policy 
  Enhancement Act of 2008''.
  
  SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF CERTAIN COPAYMENTS FROM VETERANS 
                WHO ARE CATASTROPHICALLY DISABLED.
  
      (a) Prohibition on Collection of Copayments and Other Fees for 
  Hospital or Nursing Home Care.--Section 1710 of title 38, United States 
  Code, is amended--
              (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and
              (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new 
          subsection (h):
      ``(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a 
  veteran who is catastrophically disabled shall not be required to make 
  any payment otherwise required under subsection (f) or (g) for the 
  receipt of hospital care or nursing home care under this section.''.
      (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (h) of section 1710 of title 38, 
  United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with 
  respect to hospital care or nursing home care provided after the date 
  of the enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                PROVIDE COUNSELING FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF VETERANS 
                RECEIVING NONSERVICE-CONNECTED TREATMENT.
  
      Section 1782(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
  striking ``if--'' and all that follows and inserting a period.
  
  SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON PAIN MANAGEMENT.
  
      (a) Comprehensive Policy Required.--Not later than October 1, 2008, 
  the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop and implement a 
  comprehensive policy on the management of pain experienced by veterans 
  enrolled for health care services provided by the Department of 
  Veterans Affairs.
      (b) Scope of Policy.--The policy required by subsection (a) shall 
  cover each of the following:
              (1) The systemwide management of acute and chronic pain 
          experienced by veterans.
              (2) The standard of care for pain management to be used 
          throughout the Department.
              (3) The consistent application of pain assessments to be 
          used throughout the Department.
              (4) The assurance of prompt and appropriate pain care 
          treatment and management by the Department, systemwide, when 
          medically necessary.
              (5) The Department's program of research related to acute 
          and chronic pain suffered by veterans, including pain 
          attributable to central and peripheral nervous system damage 
          characteristic of injuries incurred in modern warfare.
              (6) The Department's program of pain care education and 
          training for health care personnel of the Department.
              (7) The Department's program of patient education for 
          veterans suffering from acute or chronic pain and their 
          families.
      (c) Updates.--The Secretary shall revise the policy developed under 
  subsection (a) on a periodic basis in accordance with experience and 
  evolving best practice guidelines.
      (d) Consultation.--The Secretary shall develop the policy developed 
  under subsection (a), and revise such policy under subsection (c), in 
  consultation with veterans service organizations and organizations with 
  expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of 
  pain.
      (e) Annual Report.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
          the completion and initial implementation of the policy under 
          subsection (a) and on October 1 of every fiscal year thereafter 
          through fiscal year 2018, the Secretary shall submit to the 
          Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
          on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
          on the implementation of the policy developed under subsection 
          (a).
              (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
          include the following:
                      (A) A description of the policy developed and 
                  implemented under subsection (a) and any revisions to 
                  such policy under subsection (c).
                      (B) A description of the performance measures used 
                  to determine the effectiveness of such policy in 
                  improving pain care for veterans systemwide.
                      (C) An assessment of the adequacy of the 
                  Department's pain management services based on a survey 
                  of patients managed in Department clinics.
                      (D) An assessment of the Department's research 
                  programs relevant to the treatment of the types of 
                  acute and chronic pain suffered by veterans.
                      (E) An assessment of the training provided to 
                  Department health care personnel with respect to the 
                  diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute and 
                  chronic pain.
                      (F) An assessment of the Department's pain care-
                  related patient education programs.
      (f) Veterans Service Organization Defined.--In this section, the 
  term ``veterans service organization'' means any organization 
  recognized by the Secretary for the representation of veterans under 
  section 5902 of title 38, United States Code.
  
  SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSOLIDATED PATIENT ACCOUNTING CENTERS.
  
      (a) Establishment of Centers.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United 
  States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1729A the following:
  ``Sec. 1729B. Consolidated patient accounting centers
      ``(a) In General.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
  enactment of this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
  establish not more than seven consolidated patient accounting centers 
  for conducting industry-modeled regionalized billing and collection 
  activities of the Department.
      ``(b) Functions.--The centers shall carry out the following 
  functions:
              ``(1) Reengineer and integrate all business processes of 
          the revenue cycle of the Department.
              ``(2) Standardize and coordinate all activities of the 
          Department related to the revenue cycle for all health care 
          services furnished to veterans for nonservice-connected medical 
          conditions.
              ``(3) Apply commercial industry standards for measures of 
          access, timeliness, and performance metrics with respect to 
          revenue enhancement of the Department.
              ``(4) Apply other requirements with respect to such revenue 
          cycle improvement as the Secretary may specify.''.
      (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
  such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
  1729A the following:
  
  ``1729B. Consolidated patient accounting centers.''.
  
  SEC. 6. SIMPLIFYING AND UPDATING NATIONAL STANDARDS TO ENCOURAGE 
                TESTING OF THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS.
  
      Section 124 of the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 
  U.S.C. 7333 note; 102 Stat. 505) and
  
  
                
  
  the item relating to such section in the table of contents of such Act 
  (102 Stat. 487) are repealed.
  
              Passed the House of Representatives July 30, 2008.
  
              Attest:
  
                                              LORRAINE C. MILLER,
  
                                                                   Clerk.
target: Veterans' Health Care Policy Enhancement Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Prohibits the collection by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care in the case of catastrophically disabled veterans.
  
  (Sec. 3) Repeals a current requirement that, in order for a family member of a non-service-connected disabled veteran to be eligible for counseling services, the counseling must be essential to permit the discharge of the veteran from the hospital.
  
  (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the management of pain experienced by veterans enrolled for VA health care services; (2) periodically revise the policy; and (3) report annually through FY2018 to the congressional veterans' committees on policy implementation.
  
  (Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary, within five years after the enactment of this Act, to establish up to seven consolidated patient accounting centers for conducting industry-modeled regionalized VA billing and collection activities.
  
  (Sec. 6) Repeals a provision of the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 requiring written informed consent for HIV testing among veterans.
feat_title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled, and for other purposes.