I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2423 

To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter 

into contracts with private physicians to conduct medical disability examinations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2013 

Mr. RUNYAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to enter into contracts with private physicians to conduct 

medical disability examinations. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Disabled Veterans’ Ac5 cess to Medical Exams Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO AUTHORITY FOR PERFORM2 ANCE OF MEDICAL DISABILITIES EXAMINA3 TIONS BY CONTRACT PHYSICIANS. 

4 (a) EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.—Sub5 section (c) of section 704 of the Veterans Benefits Act 

6 of 2003 (38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking 

7 ‘‘December 31, 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

8 2016’’. 

9 (b) LICENSURE OF CONTRACT PHYSICIANS.— 

10 (1) TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.—Such section 

11 704 is further amended— 

12 (A) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub13 section (e); and 

14 (B) by inserting after subsection (c) the 

15 following new subsection (d): 

16 ‘‘(d) LICENSURE OF CONTRACT PHYSICIANS.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any law 

18 regarding the licensure of physicians, a physician de19 scribed in paragraph (2) may conduct an examina20 tion pursuant to a contract entered into under sub21 section (b) at any location in any State, the District 

22 of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or pos23 session of the United States, so long as the examina24 tion is within the scope of the authorized duties 

25 under such contract. 


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1 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de2 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

3 ‘‘(A) has a current license to practice the 

4 health care profession of the physician; and 

5 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

6 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

7 a contract entered into under subsection (b).’’. 

8 (2) PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 504 of the Vet9 erans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 (38 

10 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended— 

11 (A) by redesignating subsections (c) and 

12 (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and 

13 (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the 

14 following new subsection (c): 

15 ‘‘(c) LICENSURE OF CONTRACT PHYSICIANS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any law 

17 regarding the licensure of physicians, a physician de18 scribed in paragraph (2) may conduct an examina19 tion pursuant to a contract entered into under sub20 section (a) at any location in any State, the District 

21 of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or pos22 session of the United States, so long as the examina23 tion is within the scope of the authorized duties 

24 under such contract. 


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1 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de2 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

3 ‘‘(A) has a current license to practice the 

4 health care profession of the physician; and 

5 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

6 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

7 a contract entered into under subsection (a).’’. 

8 (c) EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Subsection (b) 

9 of such section 504 is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(b) LOCATIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) NUMBER.—The Secretary may carry out 

12 the pilot program under this section through not 

13 more than 15 regional offices of the Department of 

14 Veterans Affairs. 

15 ‘‘(2) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select 

16 the regional offices under paragraph (1) by ana17 lyzing appropriate data to determine the regional of18 fices that require support. Such appropriate data 

19 shall include— 

20 ‘‘(A) the number of backlogged claims; 

21 ‘‘(B) the total pending case workload; 

22 ‘‘(C) the length of time cases have been 

23 pending; 

24 ‘‘(D) the accuracy of completed cases; and 


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1 ‘‘(E) the overall timeliness of completed 

2 cases. 

3 ‘‘(3) ANNUAL ANALYSIS.—The Secretary shall 

4 carry out the data analysis of the regional offices 

5 under paragraph (2) during each year in which the 

6 program under this section is carried out to deter7 mine the regional offices selected under paragraph 

8 (1) for such year.’’. 

Æ 


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