I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2214 

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 

MAY 1, 2015 

Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself, Mr. BOUSTANY, and Mrs. WALORSKI) 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, 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

8 2017’’. 

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 and the physician is not barred 


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1 from conducting such an examination in the location 

2 in which it occurs. 

3 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de4 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

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

6 health care profession of the physician; and 

7 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

8 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

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

10 (2) PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 504 of the Vet11 erans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 (38 

12 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended— 

13 (A) by redesignating subsections (c) and 

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

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

16 following new subsection (c): 

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

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

19 regarding the licensure of physicians, a physician de20 scribed in paragraph (2) may conduct an examina21 tion pursuant to a contract entered into under sub22 section (a) at any location in any State, the District 

23 of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or pos24 session of the United States, so long as the examina25 tion is within the scope of the authorized duties 


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1 under such contract and the physician is not barred 

2 from conducting such an examination in the location 

3 in which it occurs. 

4 ‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN DESCRIBED.—A physician de5 scribed in this paragraph is a physician who— 

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

7 health care profession of the physician; and 

8 ‘‘(B) is performing authorized duties for 

9 the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to 

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

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

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

13 ‘‘(b) LOCATIONS.— 

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

15 the pilot program under this section through not 

16 more than 15 regional offices of the Department of 

17 Veterans Affairs. 

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

19 the regional offices under paragraph (1) by ana20 lyzing appropriate data to determine the regional of21 fices that require support. Such appropriate data 

22 shall include— 

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

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


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

2 pending; 

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

4 ‘‘(E) the overall timeliness of completed 

5 cases. 

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

7 carry out the data analysis of the regional offices 

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

9 program under this section is carried out to deter10 mine the regional offices selected under paragraph 

11 (1) for such year.’’. 

Æ 


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