I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2910 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
to improve the ability of veterans to access medical care in medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in the community 
by providing the veterans the ability to choose health care providers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2021 
Mr. BIGGS (for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. GAETZ, Ms. HERRELL, Mr. BUDD, 
Mrs. GREENE of Georgia, Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, 
and Mrs. MCCLAIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a pilot program to improve the ability of veterans to 
access medical care in medical facilities of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs and in the community by pro-
viding the veterans the ability to choose health care 
providers. 
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 
Freedom Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ABILITY OF VETERANS TO 
CHOOSE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, acting through the Center for Innovation for 
Care and Payment, shall carry out a pilot program 
to improve the ability of eligible veterans to access 
hospital care, medical services, and extended care 
services through the covered care system by pro-
viding the eligible veterans the ability to choose 
health care providers. 
(2) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall select a 
minimum of four Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works in which to carry out the pilot program under 
paragraph (1). In making such selection, the Sec-
retary shall ensure that the pilot program is carried 
out in varied geographic areas that include both 
rural and urban locations. 
(b) REMOVAL OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS TO AC-
CESS CARE.—In carrying out the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and extended care services to eligible vet-
erans through the covered care system as follows: 
(1) At medical facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, regardless of whether the facility is 
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in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as 
the Network in which the veteran resides. 
(2) At non-Department facilities pursuant to, 
as appropriate— 
(A) section 1703 of title 38, United States 
Code, without regard to the requirements speci-
fied in subsection (d) of such section; or 
(B) section 1703A of such title, without re-
gard to the requirements specified in subsection 
(a)(1)(C) of such section. 
(c) ELECTION
OF VETERAN.—In accordance with 
subsections (d) and (e), an eligible veteran participating 
in the pilot program may elect to receive hospital care, 
medical services, and extended care services at any pro-
vider in the covered care system. 
(d) COORDINATION OF CARE.— 
(1) SELECTION.—Each eligible veteran partici-
pating in the pilot program shall select a primary 
care provider in the covered care system. The pri-
mary care provider shall— 
(A) coordinate with the Secretary and 
other health care providers the hospital care, 
medical services, and extended care services fur-
nished to the veteran under the pilot program; 
and 
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(B) refer the veteran to specialty care pro-
viders in the covered care system, as clinically 
necessary. 
(2) SYSTEMS.—The Secretary shall establish 
systems as the Secretary determines appropriate to 
ensure that a primary care provider can effectively 
coordinate the hospital care, medical services, and 
extended care services furnished to a veteran under 
the pilot program. 
(e) SPECIALTY CARE.— 
(1) ACCESS.—Subject to subsection (d)(1)(B), 
an eligible veteran participating in the pilot program 
may select any specialty care provider in the covered 
care system from which to receive specialty care. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary may des-
ignate a specialty care provider as a primary care 
provider of an eligible veteran participating in the 
pilot program if the Secretary determines that such 
designation is in the health interests of the veteran 
(such as an endocrinologist with respect to a veteran 
diagnosed with diabetes, a neurologist with respect 
to a veteran diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, or 
an obstetrician-gynecologist with respect to a female 
veteran). 
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(f) MENTAL HEALTH CARE.—An eligible veteran 
participating in the pilot program may select a mental 
health care provider in the covered care system from which 
to receive mental health care. 
(g) INFORMATION.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall furnish to eligible veterans the 
information on eligibility, cost sharing, treatments, and 
providers required for veterans to make informed decisions 
with respect to— 
(1) selecting primary care providers and spe-
cialty care providers; and 
(2) treatments available to the veteran. 
(h) DURATION.— 
(1) PHASE IN.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program during the three-year period be-
ginning on the date that is one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) PERMANENT REQUIREMENT.— 
(A) VETERANS
COMMUNITY
CARE
PRO-
GRAM.—Section 1703(d) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary shall’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 
provided by paragraph (4), the Secretary 
shall’’; and 
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(ii) by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) Beginning on the date that is four years after 
the date of the enactment of the Veterans Health Care 
Freedom Act— 
‘‘(A) the requirements under paragraphs (1), 
(2), and (3) shall not apply with respect to fur-
nishing hospital care, medical services, and extended 
care services to a covered veteran under this section; 
and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and extended care services to a cov-
ered veteran under this section with the same condi-
tions on the ability of the veteran to choose health 
care providers as specified in the pilot program de-
scribed in section 2 of such Act.’’. 
(B) VETERANS CARE AGREEMENTS.—Sec-
tion 1703A(a)(1) of such title is amended— 
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘For purposes’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as 
provided by subparagraph (E), for pur-
poses’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
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‘‘(E) Beginning on the date that is four years after 
the date of the enactment of the Veterans Health Care 
Freedom Act— 
‘‘(i) the requirements under subparagraph (C) 
shall not apply with respect to furnishing hospital 
care, medical services, and extended care services to 
a covered veteran under this section; and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary shall furnish hospital care, 
medical services, and extended care services to a cov-
ered veteran under this section with the same condi-
tions on the ability of the veteran to choose health 
care providers as specified in the pilot program de-
scribed in section 2 of such Act.’’. 
(C) VISNS.—Beginning on the date that is 
four years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall furnish hospital 
care, medical services, and extended care serv-
ices to veterans under chapter 17 of title 38, 
United States Code, at medical facilities of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, regardless of 
whether the facility is in the same Veterans In-
tegrated Service Network as the Network in 
which the veteran resides. 
(i) REPORTS.— 
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(1) IMPLEMENTATION.—On a quarterly basis 
during the two-year period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Senate a report on the 
implementation of the pilot program. One such re-
port shall contain a description of the final design 
of the pilot program. 
(2) ANNUAL.—On an annual basis during the 
period beginning on the date that is one year after 
the date of the submission of the final report under 
paragraph (1) and ending on the date of the conclu-
sion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Senate a report on the 
results of the pilot program. 
(j) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Senate, may prescribe regula-
tions to carry out this section. 
(k) NO ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS.—No addi-
tional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section, and this section shall be carried out using 
amounts otherwise made available to the Veterans Health 
Administration. 
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(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered care system’’ means 
each— 
(A) medical facility of the Department; 
(B) health care provider specified in sub-
section 1703(c) of title 38, United States Code; 
and 
(C) eligible entity or provider that has en-
tered into a Veterans Care Agreement under 
section 1703A of such title. 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a vet-
eran who is enrolled in the patient enrollment sys-
tem of the Department of Veterans Affairs under 
section 1705 of title 38, United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘non-Department facility’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title 
38, United States Code. 
Æ 
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