Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities for Veterans Act or the LINC VA Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a pilot program to establish community integration network infrastructure to provide services for veterans. Under the bill, community integration network infrastructure means infrastructure used to enable the coordination, alignment, and connection of specified entities for communication, service coordination, and referral management of services (e.g., transportation services). The pilot program must be conducted at not fewer than one VA facility in each Veterans Integrated Service Network (i.e., regional system of VA care).
The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and report on the overall impact of the community integration network infrastructure established under the pilot program with respect to specified factors, such as the changes in access to health care or social services among veterans.
The VA must collect, as part of routine screenings, information related to social determinants that may factor into the health of a veteran.
The VA must consider data privacy and how to prevent data blocking and promote interoperability in the implementation of this bill.