I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2203 

To establish a pilot program under which veterans in the State of Alaska 

may receive health care benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs 

at non-Department medical facilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2011 

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program under which veterans in the 

State of Alaska may receive health care benefits from 

the Department of Veterans Affairs at non-Department 

medical facilities, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alaska Hero’s Card 

5 Act of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE 

2 TO VETERANS RESIDING IN ALASKA AT NON3 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MED4 ICAL FACILITIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

6 shall establish a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 

7 advisability of carrying out a program by which a covered 

8 veteran can, except as provided in subsection (f), receive 

9 necessary hospital care or medical services for any condi10 tion at any hospital or medical facility or from any medical 

11 provider eligible to receive payments under— 

12 (1) the Medicare program under title XVIII of 

13 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); 

14 (2) the Medicaid program under title XIX of 

15 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.); 

16 (3) the TRICARE program; or 

17 (4) the Indian health program. 

18 (b) COVERED VETERAN.—For purposes of this sec19 tion, a covered veteran is any veteran who— 

20 (1) is entitled to hospital care or medical serv21 ices under laws administered by the Secretary of 

22 Veterans Affairs; 

23 (2) is located in the State of Alaska; and 

24 (3) resides at a location that is located in— 

25 (A) such State; and 


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1 (B) a town, village, or other community 

2 that is not accessible by motor vehicle (as de3 fined in section 30102 of title 49, United States 

4 Code). 

5 (c) DURATION OF PILOT.—The pilot program shall 

6 be carried out during the two-year period beginning on 

7 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

8 (d) COST OF CARE AND SERVICE.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The cost of any hospital 

10 care or medical service provided under the pilot pro11 gram shall be borne by the United States from 

12 amounts other than amounts appropriated or other13 wise made available for an Indian health program. 

14 (2) NO BILLING OF VETERANS.—The Secretary 

15 shall take measures to ensure that covered veterans 

16 are not billed for the hospital care and medical serv17 ices they receive under the pilot program. 

18 (e) ALASKA HERO CARD.—In carrying out the pilot 

19 program, the Secretary shall issue to each covered veteran 

20 a card to be known as an ‘‘Alaska Hero Card’’ that such 

21 veteran may present to an authorized provider to establish 

22 the covered veteran’s eligibility for hospital care and med23 ical services under the pilot program. 

24 (f) AUTHORIZED PROVIDERS.—The Secretary may 

25 establish a list of authorized providers from whom a covVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:31 Jun 18, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2203.IH H2203

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1 ered veteran may receive hospital care and medical serv2 ices under the pilot program. 

3 (g) MEASURES TO ENSURE QUALITY AND SAFETY

4 OF CARE.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall take 

6 such measures as may be necessary to ensure that 

7 the quality and safety of care provided to veterans 

8 under the pilot program is equal to or better than 

9 the quality and safety of care otherwise provided by 

10 the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (2) SPECIFIC MEASURES.—The measures de12 scribed in paragraph (1) may include requirements 

13 relating to the following: 

14 (A) Credentialing and accreditation of pro15 viders of hospital care or medical services. 

16 (B) Timely reporting of access to care. 

17 (C) Timely reporting of clinical informa18 tion to the Secretary. 

19 (D) Reporting safety issues, patient com20 plaints, and patient satisfaction. 

21 (E) Robust quality programs, including 

22 peer review and compliance with industry 

23 standards and requirements. 

24 (3) PROVIDERS CERTIFIED BY INDIAN HEALTH

25 SERVICE.—For purposes of the pilot program, the 


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1 Secretary shall consider the equality and safety of 

2 care provided by a provider described in subsection 

3 (a)(2) who is certified by the Indian Health Service 

4 as a community health aide pursuant to section 119 

5 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 

6 U.S.C. 1616l) and who is providing services within 

7 the scope of such certification as being equal to or 

8 better than the quality and safety of care otherwise 

9 provided by the Department. 

10 (h) SAVINGS.—Nothing in this section shall be con11 strued to limit any right of recovery available to an Indian 

12 health program under the provisions of section 206 or 

13 405(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 

14 U.S.C. 1621e and 1645(c)), or any other Federal or State 

15 law. 

16 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 (1) HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES.— 

18 The terms ‘‘hospital care’’ and ‘‘medical services’’ 

19 have the meanings given such terms in section 1701 

20 of title 38, United States Code. 

21 (2) INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘In22 dian health program’’ has the meaning given such 

23 term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Im24 provement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603). 


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1 (3) SERVICE-CONNECTED.—The term ‘‘service2 connected’’ has the meaning given such term in sec3 tion 101 of such title. 

4 (4) TRICARE PROGRAM.—The term 

5 ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the meaning given such 

6 term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. 

Æ 


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