Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Expansion Act of 1996

Summary: Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Expansion Act of 1996 - Repeals a provision of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 which terminates the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense for the sharing of health care. 
Entitles the United States to recover or collect from a private health care plan charges for care or services furnished by a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility to a primary beneficiary of such plan to the extent that the beneficiary would be eligible under the plan to receive payment if the care or services had not been furnished by a U.S. department or agency. 
Repeals a statement of congressional purpose regarding the sharing of health care resources of the Department with certain other entities. 
Authorizes the Secretary to share all health care resources (currently, only specialized medical resources) with medical schools, health-care facilities and research centers (current law), as well as with any health-care provider or plan, insurer, or other entity or individual. 
Repeals a provision requiring reciprocal reimbursement of the cost of such shared resources, instead providing for payment to the Department under procedures which allow appropriate flexibility to negotiate a payment which is in the best interest of the Government. 
Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an arrangement that authorizes the furnishing of services to non-veterans only if the Secretary determines that such an arrangement:  (1) will not result in the denial of or delay in the provision of care to any veteran at that facility; and (2) is necessary to maintain an acceptable level and quality of service to veterans and will result in the improvement of services to eligible veterans at that facility. 
Excludes from limitations on the number of full-time equivalent positions permitted in the Department those positions held by persons involved in providing health care resources under sharing arrangements.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Health Care Expansion Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN HEALTH CARE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Repeal of Sunset Provision.--Section 204 of the Veterans Health 
Care Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-585; 106 Stat. 4950) is repealed.
    (b) Cost Recovery.--Title II of such Act is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 207. AUTHORITY TO BILL HEALTH-PLAN CONTRACTS.

    ``(a) Right To Recover.--In the case of a primary beneficiary (as 
described in section 201(2)(B)) who has coverage under a health-plan 
contract, as defined in section 1729(i)(1)(A) of title 38, United 
States Code, and who is furnished care or services by a Department 
medical facility pursuant to this title, the United States shall have 
the right to recover or collect charges for such care or services from 
such health-plan contract to the extent that the beneficiary (or the 
provider of the care or services) would be eligible to receive payment 
for such care or services from such health-plan contract if the care or 
services had not been furnished by a department or agency of the United 
States. Any funds received from such health-plan contract shall be 
credited to funds that have been allotted to the facility that 
furnished the care or services.
    ``(b) Enforcement.--The right of the United States to recover under 
such a beneficiary's health-plan contract shall be enforceable in the 
same manner as that provided by subsections (a)(3), (b), (c)(1), (d), 
(f), (h), and (i) of section 1729 of title 38, United States Code.''.

SEC. 3. SHARING AGREEMENTS FOR HEALTH CARE RESOURCES.

    (a) Repeal of Section 8151.--(1) Subchapter IV of chapter 81 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (A) by striking out section 8151; and
            (B) by redesignating sections 8152, 8153, 8154, 8155, 8156, 
        8157, and 8158 as sections 8151, 8152, 8153, 8154, 8155, 8156, 
        and 8157, respectively.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended--
            (A) by striking out the item relating to section 8151; and
            (B) by revising the items relating to sections 8152, 8153, 
        8154, 8155, 8156, 8157, and 8158 to reflect the redesignations 
        by paragraph (1)(B).
    (b) Revised Authority for Sharing Agreements.--Section 8152 of such 
title (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)(A)--
                    (A) by striking out ``specialized medical 
                resources'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``health-care 
                resources''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``other'' and all that follows 
                through ``medical schools'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``any medical school, health-care provider, 
                health-care plan, insurer, or other entity or 
                individual'';
            (2) in subsection (a)(2) by striking out ``only'' and all 
        that follows through ``are not'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``if such resources are not, or would not be,'';
            (3) in subsection (b), by striking out ``reciprocal 
        reimbursement'' in the first sentence and all that follows 
        through the period at the end of that sentence and inserting in 
        lieu thereof ``payment to the Department in accordance with 
        procedures that provide appropriate flexibility to negotiate 
        payment which is in the best interest of the Government.'';
            (4) in subsection (d), by striking out ``preclude such 
        payment, in accordance with--'' and all that follows through 
        ``to such facility therefor'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``preclude such payment to such facility for such care or 
        services'';
            (5) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
            (6) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection (e):
    ``(e) The Secretary may make an arrangement that authorizes the 
furnishing of services by the Secretary under this section to 
individuals who are not veterans only if the Secretary determines--
            ``(1) that such an arrangement will not result in the 
        denial of, or a delay in providing access to, care to any 
        veteran at that facility; and
            ``(2) that such an arrangement--
                    ``(A) is necessary to maintain an acceptable level 
                and quality of service to veterans at that facility; or
                    ``(B) will result in the improvement of services to 
                eligible veterans at that facility.''.
    (c) Cross-Reference Amendments.--(1) Section 8110(c)(3)(A) of such 
title is amended by striking out ``8153'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``8152''.
    (2) Subsection (b) of section 8154 of such title (as redesignated 
by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking out ``section 8154'' 
and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8153''.
    (3) Section 8156 of such title (as redesignated by subsection 
(a)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (A) in subsection (a), by striking out ``section 8153(a)'' 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8152(a)''; and
            (B) in subsection (b)(3), by striking out ``section 8153'' 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8152''.
    (4) Subsection (a) of section 8157 of such title (as redesignated 
by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking out 
        ``section 8157'' and ``section 8153(a)'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``section 8156'' and ``section 8152(a)'', respectively; 
        and
            (B) in paragraph (1), by striking out ``section 
        8157(b)(4)'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 
        8156(b)(4)''.

SEC. 4. PERSONNEL FURNISHING SHARED RESOURCES.

    Section 712(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``the sum of--'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``the sum of the following:'';
            (2) by capitalizing the first letter of the first word of 
        each of subparagraphs (A) and (B);
            (3) by striking out ``; and'' at the end of subparagraph 
        (A) and inserting in lieu thereof a period; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) The number of such positions in the 
                Department during that fiscal year held by persons 
                involved in providing health-care resources under 
                section 8111 or 8152 of this title.''.