SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Credit Pro-
tection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING EFFECT OF 
CERTAIN DELAYED PAYMENTS BY DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF 
COMMUNITY CARE. 
(a) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall conduct outreach, including through national and 
local veterans service organizations, to inform veterans of 
how to resolve credit issues caused by delayed payment 
of an eligible claim for emergency hospital care, emergency 
medical services, or other emergency health care furnished 
through a non-Department of Veterans Affairs provider. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—During the five-year period 
following the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall annually submit 
to Congress a report on the effectiveness of the Of-
fice of Community Care (or successor office) in pro-
viding timely payment of proper invoices for emer-
gency hospital care, emergency medical services, or 
other emergency health care furnished through non- 
Department of Veterans Affairs providers by the re-
quired payment date. 
(2) PERIODS COVERED.— 
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(A) The first report submitted under para-
graph (1) shall cover the five-year period pre-
ceding the date of the report, to the greatest 
extent practicable. With respect to covering the 
part of such period that occurred before Octo-
ber 1, 2015, the report shall evaluate the provi-
sion by the Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works of payments described in such paragraph. 
(B) The reports following the first report 
shall each cover the period following the date on 
which the prior report was submitted. 
(3) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The reports under 
paragraph (1) shall include, for the period covered 
by the report, the following: 
(A) The number of veterans who contacted 
the Secretary regarding a delayed payment that 
negatively affected, or will potentially negatively 
affect, the credit of the veteran. 
(B) The number of proper invoices sub-
mitted, listed in a table for each quarter and 
fiscal year of each such period that includes— 
(i) the total amount owed by the Sec-
retary under the proper invoices; 
(ii) the payment status of each proper 
invoice, as of the date of the report; and 
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(iii) the period that elapsed until each 
proper invoice was paid, including an ex-
planation of any delayed payment. 
(C) Any comments regarding delayed pay-
ments made by medical providers. 
(D) A description of the best practices that 
the Office of Community Care (or successor of-
fice) can carry out to provide timely payment of 
a proper invoice, including a plan to improve 
such timely payments. 
(E) With respect to pending claims for re-
imbursement for emergency hospital care, emer-
gency medical services, and other emergency 
health care furnished through non-Department 
of Veterans Affairs providers— 
(i) the total number of such pending 
claims for each hospital system of the De-
partment, as of the last day of the period 
covered by the report; 
(ii) the total number of veterans who 
submitted such a pending claim in each 
State, as of such day; 
(iii) the aggregate amount of all such 
pending claims in each State, as of such 
day; 
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(iv) as of such day— 
(I) the number of such pending 
claims that have been pending for 30 
days or longer; 
(II) the number of such pending 
claims that have been pending for 90 
days or longer; and 
(III) the number of such pending 
claims that have been pending for 365 
days or longer; and 
(v) for each hospital system, for the 
period covered by the report— 
(I) the number of claims for re-
imbursement for emergency hospital 
care, emergency medical services, and 
other emergency health care furnished 
through non-Department of Veterans 
Affairs providers approved during 
such quarter; 
(II) the number of such claims 
denied during such quarter; and 
(III) the number of such claims 
denied listed by each denial reason 
group. 
(c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study that evalu-
ates the effectiveness of the Office of Community 
Care in providing timely payment of a proper invoice 
for emergency hospital care, emergency medical serv-
ices, or other emergency health care furnished 
through non-Department of Veterans Affairs pro-
viders by the required payment date. 
(2) SUBMITTAL.—The Comptroller General 
shall submit to Congress a report on the study con-
ducted under paragraph (1), including the total 
amount of interest penalties paid by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs by reason of a delayed payment. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘delayed payment’’ means a prop-
er invoice that is not paid by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs until after the required payment date. 
(2) The term ‘‘proper invoice’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 3901(a) of title 31, 
United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘required payment date’’ means, 
with respect to proper invoices for emergency hos-
pital care, emergency medical services, or other 
emergency health care, the date that payment is due 
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pursuant to standards determined appropriate by 
the Secretary. 
Æ 
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