BILL REQ. #: S-2056.1
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2007 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/23/2007. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to health care for veterans; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that our primary care
health care system may not be prepared to care for the routine health
care needs of veterans and fully prepared to address the physical and
mental health needs of our veterans, especially those returning
recently from war. Many veterans are living with chronic illness and
disability. It would be to the great benefit of veterans and their
families to ensure that primary care providers are prepared to care for
the chronic conditions and injuries, as well as the routine health care
needs, of veterans.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department shall conduct a program of training and
technical assistance for providers of primary care regarding care of
veterans who have served in heavy combat zones and have chronic
conditions. The program shall emphasize evidence-based high quality
preventive and chronic disease and injury care that addresses the
diseases and injuries that are most prevalent in veterans, and
particularly those returning recently from the combat zone. The
department may designate one or more chronic conditions to be the
subject of the program.
(2) The training and technical assistance program shall include the
following elements:
(a) Clinical information systems and sharing and organization of
patient data;
(b) Decision support to promote evidence-based care;
(c) Clinical delivery system design;
(d) Support for patients managing their own conditions;
(e) Collaboration with facilities and providers that serve
primarily veterans; and
(f) Identification and use of community resources that are
available in the community for patients and their families.
(3) In selecting primary care providers to participate in the
program, the department shall consider the geographic location in
proximity to military bases, number and type of patients with chronic
conditions and injuries the provider serves, and the provider's
participation in the medicaid and medicare programs.