IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1058 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2017 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the role 

of podiatrists in the Department 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Provider Equity 

3 Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ROLE OF PODIATRISTS IN DEPARTMENT OF VET5 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) INCLUSION AS PHYSICIAN.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 74 

8 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add9 ing at the end the following new section: 

10 ‘‘§ 7413. Treatment of podiatrists; clinical oversight 

11 standards 

12 ‘‘(a) PODIATRISTS.—Except as provided by sub13 section (b), a doctor of podiatric medicine who is ap14 pointed as a podiatrist under section 7401(1) of this title 

15 is eligible for any supervisory position in the Veterans 

16 Health Administration to the same degree that a physician 

17 appointed under such section is eligible for the position. 

18 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF CLINICAL OVERSIGHT

19 STANDARDS.—The Secretary, in consultation with appro20 priate stakeholders, shall establish standards to ensure 

21 that specialists appointed in the Veterans Health Adminis22 tration to supervisory positions do not provide direct clin23 ical oversight for purposes of peer review or practice eval24 uation for providers of other clinical specialties.’’. 

25 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec26 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 


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1 by inserting after the item relating to section 7412 

2 the following new item: 

‘‘7413. Treatment of podiatrists; clinical oversight standards.’’. 

3 (b) MODIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION OF PAY

4 GRADE.— 

5 (1) GRADE.—The list in section 7404(b) of 

6 such title is amended— 

7 (A) by striking ‘‘PHYSICIAN AND DEN8 TIST SCHEDULE’’ and inserting ‘‘PHYSI9 CIAN AND SURGEON (MD/DO), 

10 PODIATRIC SURGEON (DPM), AND DEN11 TIST AND ORAL SURGEON (DDS, DMD) 

12 SCHEDULE’’; 

13 (B) by striking, ‘‘Physician grade’’ and in14 serting ‘‘Physician and surgeon grade’’; and 

15 (C) by striking ‘‘PODIATRIST, CHIRO16 PRACTOR, AND,’’ and inserting ‘‘CHIRO17 PRACTOR AND’’. 

18 (2) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by 

19 paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to a pay pe20 riod of the Department of Veterans Affairs begin21 ning on or after the date that is 30 days after the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF PEN2 SION FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF VET3 ERANS AFFAIRS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS 

4 COVERED BY MEDICAID PLANS FOR SERV5 ICES FURNISHED BY NURSING FACILITIES. 

6 Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, 

7 is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2024’’ and insert8 ing ‘‘September 30, 2026’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2017. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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