I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1176

To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a program

of rural health-care clinics, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 2, 1993

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

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to

establish a program of rural health-care clinics, 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. RURAL HEALTH-CARE CLINIC PROGRAM.

4 (a) PROGRAM.—(1) Chapter 17 of title 38, United

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end of sub6 chapter II the following new section:

7 ‘‘§ 1720E. Rural health-care clinics: pilot program

8 ‘‘(a) During the three-year period beginning on Octo9 ber 1, 1993, the Secretary shall conduct a rural health10 care clinic program in States where significant numbers
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1 of veterans reside in areas geographically remote from ex2 isting health-care facilities (as determined by the Sec3 retary). The Secretary shall conduct the program in ac4 cordance with this section.

5 ‘‘(b)(1) In carrying out the rural health-care clinic

6 program, the Secretary shall furnish medical services to

7 the veterans described in subsection (c) through use of—

8 ‘‘(A) mobile health-care clinics equipped, oper9 ated, and maintained by personnel of the Depart10 ment; and

11 ‘‘(B) other types of rural clinics, including part12 time stationary clinics for which the Secretary con13 tracts and part-time stationary clinics operated by

14 personnel of the Department.

15 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall furnish services under the

16 rural health-care clinic program in areas—

17 ‘‘(A) that are more than 100 miles from a De18 partment general health-care facility; and

19 ‘‘(B) that are less than 100 miles from such a

20 facility, if the Secretary determines that the furnish21 ing of such services in such areas is appropriate.

22 ‘‘(c) A veteran eligible to receive medical services

23 through rural health-care clinics under the program is any

24 veteran eligible for medical services under section 1712 of

25 this title.
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1 ‘‘(d) The Secretary shall commence operation of at

2 least three rural health-care clinics (at least one of which

3 shall be a mobile health-care clinic) in each fiscal year of

4 the program. The Secretary may not operate more than

5 one mobile health-care clinic under the authority of this

6 section in any State in any such fiscal year.

7 ‘‘(e) Not later than December 31, 1997, the Sec8 retary shall submit to Congress a report containing an

9 evaluation of the program. The report shall include the

10 following:

11 ‘‘(1) A description of the program, including in12 formation with respect to—

13 ‘‘(A) the number and type of rural health14 care clinics operated under the program;

15 ‘‘(B) the States in which such clinics were

16 operated;

17 ‘‘(C) the medical services furnished under

18 the program, including a detailed specification

19 of the cost of such services;

20 ‘‘(D) the veterans who were furnished serv21 ices under the program, setting forth (i) the

22 numbers and percentages of the veterans who

23 had service-connected disabilities, (ii) of the vet24 erans having such disabilities, the numbers and

25 percentages who were furnished care for such
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1 disabilities, (iii) the ages of the veterans, (iv)

2 taking into account the veterans’ past use of

3 Department health-care facilities, an analysis of

4 the extent to which the veterans would have re5 ceived medical services from the Department

6 outside the program and the types of services

7 they would have received, and (v) the financial

8 circumstances of the veterans; and

9 ‘‘(E) the types of personnel who furnished

10 services to veterans under the program, includ11 ing any difficulties in the recruitment or reten12 tion of such personnel.

13 ‘‘(2) An assessment by the Secretary of the

14 cost-effectiveness and efficiency of furnishing medi15 cal services to veterans through various types of

16 rural clinics (including mobile health-care clinics op17 erated under the pilot program conducted pursuant

18 to section 113 of the Veterans’ Benefits and Services

19 Act of 1988 (Public Law 100–322; 38 U.S.C. 1712

20 note)).

21 ‘‘(3) Any plans for administrative action, and

22 any recommendations for legislation, that the Sec23 retary considers appropriate.
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1 ‘‘(f) For the purposes of this section, the term ‘De2 partment general health-care facility’ has the meaning

3 given such term in section 1712A(i)(2) of this title.’’.

4 (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such

5 chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating

6 to section 1720D the following new item:

‘‘1720E. Rural health-care clinics: pilot program.’’.

7 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1)

8 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department

9 of Veterans Affairs to carry out the rural health-care clin10 ics program provided for in section 1720E of title 38,

11 United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), the fol12 lowing:

13 (A) For fiscal year 1994, $3,000,000.

14 (B) For fiscal year 1995, $6,000,000.

15 (C) For fiscal year 1996, $9,000,000.

16 (2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to such author17 ization may not be used for any other purpose.

18 (3) No funds may be expended to carry out the rural

19 health-care clinics program provided for in such section

20 1720E (as so added) unless expressly provided for in an

21 appropriations Act.

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