II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1751 

To improve authorities for performance of medical disabilities examinations 

by contract physicians for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 20, 2013 

Mr. HELLER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve authorities for performance of medical disabilities 

examinations by contract physicians for benefits under 

laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. IMPROVEMENTS TO AUTHORITY FOR PER4 FORMANCE OF MEDICAL DISABILITIES EX5 AMINATIONS BY CONTRACT PHYSICIAN. 

6 (a) EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.—Sub7 section (c) of section 704 of the Veterans Benefits Act 

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


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

2 2016’’. 

3 (b) LICENSURE OF CONTRACT PHYSICIANS.— 

4 (1) TEMPORARY AUTHORITY.—Such section 

5 704 is further amended— 

6 (A) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub7 section (e); and 

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

9 following new subsection (d): 

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

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

12 regarding the licensure of physicians, a physician de13 scribed in paragraph (2) may conduct an examina14 tion pursuant to a contract entered into under sub15 section (b) at any location in any State, the District 

16 of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or pos17 session of the United States, so long as the examina18 tion is within the scope of the authorized duties 

19 under such contract. 

20 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de21 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

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

23 health care profession of the physician; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

2 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

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

4 (2) PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 504 of the Vet5 erans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 (38 

6 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended— 

7 (A) by redesignating subsections (c) and 

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

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

10 following new subsection (c): 

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

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

13 regarding the licensure of physicians, a physician de14 scribed in paragraph (2) may conduct an examina15 tion pursuant to a contract entered into under sub16 section (a) at any location in any State, the District 

17 of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or pos18 session of the United States, so long as the examina19 tion is within the scope of the authorized duties 

20 under such contract. 

21 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de22 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

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

24 health care profession of the physician; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

2 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

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

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

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

6 ‘‘(b) LOCATIONS.— 

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

8 the pilot program under this section through not 

9 more than 15 regional offices of the Department of 

10 Veterans Affairs. 

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

12 the regional offices under paragraph (1) by ana13 lyzing appropriate data to determine the regional of14 fices that require support. Such appropriate data 

15 shall include— 

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

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

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

19 pending; 

20 ‘‘(D) the accuracy of completed cases; 

21 ‘‘(E) the overall timeliness of completed 

22 cases; 

23 ‘‘(F) the availability and workload of the 

24 examination units and physicians of the medical 

25 centers in the regional office; and 


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1 ‘‘(G) any other data the Secretary deter2 mines appropriate. 

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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