I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1385
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the delivery of health
care to veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 4, 1995
Mr. EDWARDS (for himself and Mr. MONTGOMERY) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the
delivery of health care to veterans, 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.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Health Care
Reform Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE REFORM PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1704
the following new section:
‘‘§ 1705. Delivery of health care through reformed
management of care
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall conduct a program to reform
the way in which the Secretary manages delivery of health
care to veterans. The program shall be carried out in ac-
cordance with this section.
‘‘(b)(1) In carrying out the program of reformed
health care under this section, the Secretary shall take ap-
propriate action to (A) expand the capacity of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to provide outpatient care to eli-
gible veterans, and (B) allocate resources to Department
facilities in such a manner as to enable such facilities in
carrying out the provisions of this section to provide to
veterans described in subsection (c) access to care which
is reasonably similar, without regard to the State in which
those veterans reside.
‘‘(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall take appropriate steps, within service-delivery areas
established by the Secretary, to reduce duplication of serv-
ices and to realign services and programs.
‘‘(c)(1) During the period through September 30,
1999, the Secretary shall, for purposes of the program of
reformed health care under this section, manage Depart-
ment health care facilities so as to provide needed hospital
care and outpatient medical treatment—
‘‘(A) to any veteran described in subsection (e)
without regard to otherwise applicable limitations in
this chapter (other than the limitations specified in
section 1712(b) of this title); and
‘‘(B) to all other veterans, subject to the limita-
tions in this chapter.
‘‘(2) The care and treatment described in paragraph
(1) includes the provision of preventive health services and
prosthetic appliances and may include home care services.
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall, in carrying out the pro-
gram, ensure that any veteran with a service-connected
disability is provided all benefits to which that veteran is
entitled under this chapter.
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary, in order to manage the provi-
sion of care and services under this section, shall coordi-
nate care of veterans through facilities under the jurisdic-
tion of, or under contract to, the Secretary and through
referral to other appropriate providers in a veteran’s com-
munity.
‘‘(2) The Secretary, to further the provision of care
and services under this section, may make such rules and
regulations regarding acquisition procedures or policies as
the Secretary considers appropriate to obtain needed care
and services under this section.
‘‘(3) The Secretary, in managing the provision of care
and services under this section, may—
‘‘(A) use systems of patient prioritization, con-
sistent with the relative priorities described in sec-
tion 1712(i) of this title; and
‘‘(B) establish a program of enrollment of eligi-
ble veterans.
‘‘(4) The Secretary, in managing the provision of care
and services under this section, shall ensure that the De-
partment maintains its capacity to provide for the special-
ized treatment and rehabilitative needs of disabled veter-
ans described in section 1710(a) of this title (including
veterans with spinal cord dysfunction, blindness, and men-
tal illness) within distinct programs or facilities of the De-
partment that are dedicated to the specialized needs of
those veterans in a manner that (A) affords those veterans
reasonable access to care and services for those specialized
needs, and (B) ensures that overall capacity of the Depart-
ment to provide such services is not reduced below the ca-
pacity of the Department, nationwide, to provide those
services as of the date of the enactment of this section.
‘‘(e) A veteran referred to in subsection (c)(1)(A) is
any veteran—
‘‘(1) with a compensable service-connected dis-
ability;