I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3723 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to enter into contracts with health care providers to improve 
access to health care for veterans who have difficulty receiving treatment 
at a health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2011 
Mr. SCHILLING (for himself, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. SCHOCK, 
and Mr. WALSH of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts with 
health care providers to improve access to health care 
for veterans who have difficulty receiving treatment at 
a health care facility of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Enhanced Veteran Healthcare Experience Act of 2011’’. 
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the current health care system of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs is neither fiscally effi-
cient nor effective in providing easily accessible 
treatment for all veterans; 
(2) health care can be provided more efficiently 
to provide veterans with care that is available closer 
to where they live and to allow veterans more flexi-
bility in choosing their own doctors; and 
(3) better health care can be provided to vet-
erans at little-to-no increased cost to the taxpayer by 
replacing the fee-based care system of the Depart-
ment with the veterans enhanced care program, as 
described under section 2, and reprogramming funds 
to this program. 
SEC. 2. ENHANCED CONTRACT CARE AUTHORITY FOR 
HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) TYPE OF CARE.—Subsection (a) of section 
1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(a)(1) The Secretary shall provide an eligible vet-
eran with covered health services that are provided by a 
non-Department provider whom the Secretary enters into 
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a contract with under this section if the Secretary deter-
mines that facilities of the Department are not capable 
of— 
‘‘(A) economically furnishing covered health 
services to such veteran because of geographical in-
accessibility; or 
‘‘(B) furnishing covered health services to such 
veteran because such facilities lack the required per-
sonnel, resources, or ability. 
‘‘(2) In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘covered health services’ means, 
with respect to an eligible veteran, any hospital care, 
medical service, rehabilitative service, or preventative 
health service that is authorized to be provided by 
the Secretary to the veteran under this chapter or 
any other provision of law. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘eligible veteran’ means a vet-
eran enrolled in the health care system established 
under section 1705(a) of this title who elects to re-
ceive care under this section.’’. 
(2) 
QUALIFIED
PROVIDERS; 
QUALITY
OF 
CARE.—Such section is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsections: 
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‘‘(e) The Secretary may enter into a contract with 
a non-Department provider under this section if such pro-
vider— 
‘‘(1) demonstrates the ability to provide non- 
Department health care services to veterans; 
‘‘(2) meets or exceeds internal credentialing 
standards of the Department and standards of the 
Utilization Review Accreditation Commission; 
‘‘(3) has care coordinators who help veterans 
make, confirm, and keep medical appointments; 
‘‘(4) has— 
‘‘(A) a system that allows veterans to file 
complaints; and 
‘‘(B) a demonstrated ability to respond to 
potential quality indicators and patient safety 
events; and 
‘‘(5) has the ability to— 
‘‘(A) process claims from others in the net-
work of the provider; 
‘‘(B) bill a third party (as defined in sec-
tion 1725(f)(2) of this title) for care provided 
under this section, as appropriate; and 
‘‘(C) transmit directly to the Secretary any 
amounts received pursuant to subparagraph 
(B). 
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‘‘(f) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
ensure the following: 
‘‘(1) With respect to each medical center of the 
Department, the Secretary is consistent in deter-
mining the eligibility of veterans under subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(2) The Secretary includes care coordinators 
of a non-Department provider described in sub-
section (e)(3) in initiatives of the Department to 
provide patient-centered care and uses such coordi-
nators when the Secretary is unable to assign a vet-
eran a case manager from the Department. 
‘‘(3) The Department and a non-Department 
provider under this section exchange clinical infor-
mation to improve both clinical decision-making and 
the care a veteran receives. 
‘‘(4) Both non-Department facilities under this 
section and Department facilities meet performance 
metrics regarding— 
‘‘(A) the quality of health care provided; 
and 
‘‘(B) the satisfaction of veterans. 
‘‘(5) A non-Department facility under this sec-
tion or employee of the Department who exceeds 
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performance metrics under paragraph (4) are eligi-
ble for incentive or bonus payments. 
‘‘(g)(1) Not later than October 31 of each year, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee of Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives a report on care pro-
vided under this section, including— 
‘‘(A) the cost to the Department; 
‘‘(B) the number of veterans receiving care 
under this section; 
‘‘(C) the quality of such care and the satisfac-
tion of such veterans; and 
‘‘(D) other matters the Secretary considers ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(2) Not later than March 1 of each odd-numbered 
year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee of Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
on the allocation of resources with respect to care provided 
by the Department and by non-Department facilities.’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraphs (1) and (2) shall take effect on Octo-
ber 1, 2012. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
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