§ 1745. Nursing home care and medications for veterans with service-connected disabilities
(a)
(1)
The Secretary shall pay each State home for nursing home care at the rate determined under paragraph (2), in any case in which such care is provided to any veteran as follows:
(A)
Any veteran in need of such care for a service-connected disability.
(B)
Any veteran who—
(i)
has a service-connected disability rated at 70 percent or more; and
(ii)
is in need of such care.
(2)
The rate determined under this paragraph with respect to a State home is the lesser of—
(A)
the applicable or prevailing rate payable in the geographic area in which the State home is located, as determined by the Secretary, for nursing home care furnished in a non-Department nursing home (as that term is defined in section
1720
(e)(2) of this title); or
(B)
a rate not to exceed the daily cost of care, as determined by the Secretary, following a report to the Secretary by the director of the State home.
(3)
Payment by the Secretary under paragraph (1) to a State home for nursing home care provided to a veteran described in that paragraph constitutes payment in full to the State home for such care furnished to that veteran.
(b)
The Secretary shall furnish such drugs and medicines as may be ordered on prescription of a duly licensed physician as specific therapy in the treatment of illness or injury to any veteran as follows:
(1)
Any veteran who—
(A)
is not being provided nursing home care for which payment is payable under subsection (a); and
(B)
is in need of such drugs and medicines for a service-connected disability.
(2)
Any veteran who—
(A)
has a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or more;
(B)
is not being provided nursing home care for which payment is payable under subsection (a); and
(C)
is in need of such drugs and medicines.
(c)
Any State home that requests payment or reimbursement for services provided to a veteran under this section shall provide to the Secretary such information as the Secretary considers necessary to identify each individual veteran eligible for payment under such section.