115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 544 

AN ACT 

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 

Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the 

Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2 

†S 544 ES

1 SECTION 1. MODIFICATION OF TERMINATION DATE FOR 

2 VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM. 

3 Section 101(p)(2) of the Veterans Access, Choice, 

4 and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 

5 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended by striking ‘‘, or the date 

6 that is 3 years after the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act, whichever occurs first’’. 

8 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT TO ACT AS SEC9 ONDARY PAYER FOR CARE RELATING TO 

10 NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES 

11 AND RECOVERY OF COSTS FOR CERTAIN 

12 CARE UNDER CHOICE PROGRAM. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(e) of the Veterans 

14 Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public 

15 Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended— 

16 (1) in the subsection heading, by striking 

17 ‘‘OTHER HEALTH-CARE PLAN’’ and inserting ‘‘RE18 SPONSIBILITY FOR COSTS OF CERTAIN CARE’’; 

19 (2) in paragraph (1), in the paragraph heading, 

20 by striking ‘‘TO SECRETARY’’ and inserting ‘‘ON

21 HEALTH-CARE PLANS’’; 

22 (3) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); 

23 (4) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para24 graph (2); and 

25 (5) by adding at the end the following new 

26 paragraph: 
3 

†S 544 ES

1 ‘‘(3) RECOVERY OF COSTS FOR CERTAIN

2 CARE.— 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In any case in which 

4 an eligible veteran is furnished hospital care or 

5 medical services under this section for a non6 service-connected disability described in sub7 section (a)(2) of section 1729 of title 38, 

8 United States Code, or for a condition for 

9 which recovery is authorized or with respect to 

10 which the United States is deemed to be a third 

11 party beneficiary under Public Law 87–693, 

12 commonly known as the ‘Federal Medical Care 

13 Recovery Act’ (42 U.S.C. 2651 et seq.), the 

14 Secretary shall recover or collect from a third 

15 party (as defined in subsection (i) of such sec16 tion 1729) reasonable charges for such care or 

17 services to the extent that the veteran (or the 

18 provider of the care or services) would be eligi19 ble to receive payment for such care or services 

20 from such third party if the care or services 

21 had not been furnished by a department or 

22 agency of the United States. 

23 ‘‘(B) USE OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts col24 lected by the Secretary under subparagraph (A) 

25 shall be deposited in the Medical Community 
4 

†S 544 ES

1 Care account of the Department. Amounts so 

2 deposited shall remain available until ex3 pended.’’. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (1) of 

5 such section is amended by striking ‘‘paragraph (4)’’ and 

6 inserting ‘‘paragraph (2)’’. 

7 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO DISCLOSE CERTAIN MEDICAL 

8 RECORDS OF VETERANS WHO RECEIVE NON9 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

10 HEALTH CARE. 

11 Section 7332(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 

12 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub13 paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(H)(i) To a non-Department entity (including 

15 private entities and other Federal agencies) that 

16 provides hospital care or medical services to veterans 

17 as authorized by the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(ii) An entity to which a record is disclosed 

19 under this subparagraph may not redisclose or use 
5 

†S 544 ES

1 such record for a purpose other than that for which 

2 the disclosure was made.’’. 

Passed the Senate April 3, 2017. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 544 

AN ACT 

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Acand for other purposes. nation date for the Veterans Choice Program, countability Act of 2014 to modify the termi-