135C.31A Assessment of residents — program eligibility — prescription drug coverage.

1. A health care facility shall assist the Iowa department of veterans affairs in identifying, upon admission of a resident, the resident’s eligibility for benefits through the United States department of veterans affairs. The department of inspections and appeals, in cooperation with the department of human services, shall adopt rules to administer this section, including a provision that ensures that if a resident is eligible for benefits through the United States department of veterans affairs or other third-party payor, the payor of last resort for reimbursement to the health care facility is the medical assistance program. The rules shall also require the health care facility to request information from a resident or resident’s personal representative regarding the resident’s veteran status and to report to the Iowa department of veterans affairs only the names of residents identified as potential veterans along with the names of their spouses and any dependents. Information reported by the health care facility shall be verified by the Iowa department of veterans affairs. This section shall not apply to the admission of an individual to a state mental health institute for acute psychiatric care or to the admission of an individual to the Iowa veterans home.

2. a. If a resident is identified, upon admission to a health care facility, as eligible for benefits through the United States department of veterans affairs pursuant to subsection 1 or through other means, the health care facility shall allow the resident to access any prescription drug benefit included in such benefits for which the resident is also eligible. The health care facility shall also assist the Iowa department of veterans affairs in identifying individuals residing in such health care facilities on July 1, 2009, who are eligible for the prescription drug benefit.

b. The department of inspections and appeals, the department of veterans affairs, and the department of human services shall identify any barriers to residents in accessing such prescription drug benefits and shall assist health care facilities in adjusting their procedures for medication administration to comply with this subsection.

2003 Acts, ch 112, §2; 2003 Acts, ch 179, §160; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §226; 2005 Acts, ch 115, §28, 40; 2006 Acts, ch 1109, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 63, §1