H. R. 2617—965 
‘‘(B) dating back not less than 10 years. 
‘‘(3) Not less frequently than every three years, perform 
recredentialing, including verifying provider history and license 
sanctions for all States and United States territories. 
‘‘(4) Implement continuous monitoring of each provider 
through the National Practitioner Data Bank established pursu-
ant to the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986 (42 
U.S.C. 11101 et seq.). 
‘‘(5) Perform other forms of credentialing verification as 
the Secretary considers appropriate. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘credentials verification organization’ means 
an entity that manages the provider credentialing process and 
performs credentialing verification for non-Department pro-
viders that participate in the Veterans Community Care Pro-
gram under section 1703 of this title through a Veterans Care 
Agreement. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘Third Party Administrator’ means an entity 
that manages a provider network and performs administrative 
services related to such network within the Veterans Commu-
nity Care Program under section 1703 of this title. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘Veterans Care Agreement’ means an agree-
ment for non-Department health care services entered into 
under section 1703A of this title. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘non-Department health care services’ means 
services— 
‘‘(A) provided under this subchapter at non-Department 
facilities (as defined in section 1701 of this title); 
‘‘(B) provided under section 101 of the Veterans Access, 
Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 
146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note); 
‘‘(C) purchased through the Medical Community Care 
account of the Department; or 
‘‘(D) purchased with amounts deposited in the Veterans 
Choice Fund under section 802 of the Veterans Access, 
Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 
146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note).’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the 
beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 1703E the following new item: 
‘‘1703F. Credentialing verification requirements for providers of non-Department 
health care services.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall commence the implementation of section 1703F of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1). 
SEC. 142. CLAIMS FOR PAYMENT FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT FURNISHED TO 
VETERANS. 
(a) TREATMENT FOR NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1725 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h); 
and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
subsections (f) and (g):
H. R. 2617—966 
‘‘(f) SUBMITTAL OF CLAIMS FOR DIRECT PAYMENT.—An individual 
or entity seeking payment under subsection (a)(2) for treatment 
provided to a veteran in lieu of reimbursement to the veteran 
shall submit a claim for such payment not later than 180 days 
after the latest date on which such treatment was provided. 
‘‘(g) HOLD HARMLESS.—No veteran described in subsection (b) 
may be held liable for payment for emergency treatment described 
in such subsection if— 
‘‘(1) a claim for direct payment was submitted by an indi-
vidual or entity under subsection (f); and 
‘‘(2) such claim was submitted after the deadline estab-
lished by such subsection due to— 
‘‘(A) an administrative error made by the individual 
or entity, such as submission of the claim to the wrong 
Federal agency, under the wrong reimbursement authority 
(such as section 1728 of this title), or submission of the 
claim after the deadline; or 
‘‘(B) an administrative error made by the Department, 
such as misplacement of a paper claim or deletion of an 
electronic claim.’’. 
(b) TREATMENT FOR AND IN CONNECTION WITH SERVICE-CON-
NECTED DISABILITIES.—Section 1728 of such title is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new sub-
section (c): 
‘‘(c) No veteran described in subsection (a) may be held liable 
for payment for emergency treatment described in such subsection 
if— 
‘‘(1) a claim for direct payment was submitted by an indi-
vidual or entity under subsection (b)(2); and 
‘‘(2) such claim was submitted after a deadline established 
by the Secretary for purposes of this section due to— 
‘‘(A) an administrative error made by the individual 
or entity, such as submission of the claim to the wrong 
Federal agency or submission of the claim after the dead-
line; or 
‘‘(B) an administrative error made by the Department, 
such as misplacement of a paper claim or deletion of an 
electronic claim.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such title is amended— 
(1) in section 1705A(d), by striking ‘‘section 1725(f)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 1725(h)’’; 
(2) in section 1725(b)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘subsection (f)(2)(B) 
or (f)(2)(C)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)(2)(B) or (h)(2)(C)’’; 
(3) in section 1728(d), as redesignated by subsection (b)(4), 
by 
striking 
‘‘section 
1725(f)(1)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘section 
1725(h)(1)’’; 
(4) in section 1781(a)(4), by striking ‘‘section 1725(f)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 1725(h)’’; and 
(5) in section 1787(b)(3), by striking ‘‘section 1725(f)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 1725(h)’’. 
SEC. 143. PUBLICATION OF CLARIFYING INFORMATION FOR NON- 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVIDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pub-
lish on one or more publicly available internet websites of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, including the main internet website
H. R. 2617—967 
regarding emergency care authorization for non-Department pro-
viders, the following information: 
(1) A summary table or similar resource that provides 
a list of all authorities of the Department to authorize emer-
gency care from non-Department providers and, for each such 
authority, the corresponding deadline for submission of claims. 
(2) An illustrated summary of steps, such as a process 
map, with a checklist for the submission of clean claims that 
non-Department providers can follow to assure compliance with 
the claims-filing process of the Department. 
(3) Contact information for the appropriate office or service 
line of the Department to address process questions from non- 
Department providers. 
(b) PERIODIC REVIEW.—Not less frequently than once every 
180 days, the Secretary shall review the information published 
under subsection (a) to ensure that such information is current. 
(c) CLEAN CLAIMS DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘clean 
claims’’ means clean electronic claims and clean paper claims (as 
those terms are defined in section 1703D(i) of title 38, United 
States Code). 
SEC. 144. INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE NON- 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CARE. 
Section 108 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–182; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 
(e) and (f), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new sub-
section (d): 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—The requirement to deny or revoke the eligi-
bility of a health care provider to provide non-Department health 
care services to veterans under subsection (a) shall apply to any 
removal under paragraph (1) of such subsection or violation under 
paragraph (2) of such subsection that occurred on or after a date 
determined by the Secretary that is not less than five years before 
the date of the enactment of this Act.’’. 
Subtitle D—Improvement of Rural Health 
and Telehealth 
SEC. 151. ESTABLISHMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN REQUIREMENT FOR 
OFFICE OF CONNECTED CARE OF DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The COVID–19 pandemic caused the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to exponentially increase telehealth and vir-
tual care modalities, including VA Video Connect, to deliver 
health care services to veteran patients. 
(2) Between January 2020 and January 2021, the number 
of telehealth appointments offered by the Department increased 
by 1,831 percent. 
(3) The Department maintains strategic partnerships, such 
as the Digital Divide Consult, with a goal of ensuring veterans 
who reside in rural, highly rural, or medically underserved 
areas have access to high-quality telehealth services offered 
by the Department.
H. R. 2617—968 
(4) As of 2019, veterans who reside in rural and highly 
rural areas make up approximately 1⁄3
of veteran enrollees 
in the patient enrollment system, and are on average, older 
than their veteran peers in urban areas, experience higher 
degrees of financial instability, and live with a greater number 
of complex health needs and comorbidities. 
(5) The Federal Communications Commission estimated 
in 2020 that 15 percent of veteran households do not have 
an internet connection. 
(6) Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Secu-
rity Act (Public Law 116–136), Congress granted the Depart-
ment additional authority to enter into short-term agreements 
or contracts with private sector telecommunications companies 
to provide certain broadband services for the purposes of pro-
viding expanded mental health services to isolated veterans 
through telehealth or VA Video Connect during a public health 
emergency. 
(7) The authority described in paragraph (6) was not uti-
lized to the fullest extent by the Department. 
(8) Though the Department has made significant progress 
in expanding telehealth services offered to veterans who are 
enrolled in the patient enrollment system, significant gaps still 
exist to ensure all veterans receive equal and high-quality 
access to virtual care. 
(9) Questions regarding the efficacy of using telehealth 
for certain health care services and specialties remain, and 
should be further studied. 
(10) The Department continues to expand telehealth and 
virtual care offerings for primary care, mental health care, 
specialty care, urgent care, and even remote intensive care 
units. 
(b) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
the telehealth services offered by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs should be routinely measured and evaluated to ensure the 
telehealth technologies and modalities delivered to veteran patients 
to treat a wide variety of health conditions are as effective as 
in-person treatment for primary care, mental health care, and other 
forms of specialty care. 
(c) DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
acting through the Office of Connected Care of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, shall develop a strategic plan to ensure 
the effectiveness of the telehealth technologies and modalities 
delivered by the Department to veterans who are enrolled in 
the patient enrollment system. 
(2) UPDATE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall update the stra-
tegic plan required under paragraph (1) not less frequently 
than once every three years following development of the 
plan. 
(B) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall prepare any 
update required under subparagraph (A) in consultation 
with the following: 
(i) The Chief Officer of the Office of Connected 
Care of the Department.
H. R. 2617—969 
(ii) The Executive Director of Telehealth Services 
of the Office of Connected Care. 
(iii) The Executive Director of Connected Health 
of the Office of Connected Care. 
(iv) The Executive Director of the Office of Rural 
Health of the Department. 
(v) The Executive Director of Solution Delivery, 
IT Operations and Services of the Office of Information 
and Technology of the Department. 
(3) ELEMENTS.—The strategic plan required under para-
graph (1), and any update to that plan under paragraph (2), 
shall include, at a minimum, the following: 
(A) A comprehensive list of all health care specialties 
the Department is currently delivering by telehealth or 
virtual care. 
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness and patient 
outcomes for each type of health care specialty delivered 
by telehealth or virtual care by the Department. 
(C) An assessment of satisfaction of veterans in 
receiving 
care 
through 
telehealth 
or 
virtual 
care 
disaggregated by age group and by Veterans Integrated 
Service Network. 
(D) An assessment of the percentage of virtual visits 
delivered by the Department through each modality 
including standard telephone telehealth, VA Video Connect, 
and the Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations 
program of the Department. 
(E) An outline of all current partnerships maintained 
by the Department to bolster telehealth or virtual care 
services for veterans. 
(F) An assessment of the barriers faced by the Depart-
ment in delivering telehealth or virtual care services to 
veterans residing in rural and highly rural areas, and 
the strategies the Department is deploying beyond pur-
chasing hardware for veterans who are enrolled in the 
patient enrollment system. 
(G) A detailed plan illustrating how the Department 
is working with other Federal agencies, including the 
Department of Health and Human Services, the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, the Federal Communications Commis-
sion, and the National Telecommunications and Informa-
tion Administration, to enhance connectivity in rural, 
highly rural, and medically underserved areas to better 
reach all veterans. 
(H) The feasibility and advisability of partnering with 
Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, and 
critical access hospitals to fill the gap for health care serv-
ices that exists for veterans who reside in rural and highly 
rural areas. 
(I) An evaluation of the number of veterans who are 
enrolled in the patient enrollment system who have pre-
viously received care under the Veterans Community Care 
Program under section 1703 of title 38, United States Code. 
(d) SUBMITTAL TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the development of the strategic plan under paragraph (1) of sub-
section (c), and not later than 180 days after each update under 
paragraph (2) of such subsection thereafter, the Secretary shall
H. R. 2617—970 
submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives 
a report that includes the following: 
(1) The completed strategic plan or update, as the case 
may be. 
(2) An identification of areas of improvement by the Depart-
ment in the delivery of telehealth and virtual care services 
to veterans who are enrolled in the patient enrollment system, 
with a timeline for improvements to be implemented. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.— 
(1) PATIENT
ENROLLMENT
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘patient 
enrollment system’’ means the system of annual patient enroll-
ment of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and 
operated under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 
(2) RURAL; HIGHLY RURAL.—The terms ‘‘rural’’ and ‘‘highly 
rural’’ have the meanings given those terms in the Rural- 
Urban Commuting Areas coding system of the Department 
of Agriculture. 
(3) VA VIDEO CONNECT.—The term ‘‘VA Video Connect’’ 
means the program of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
to connect veterans with their health care team from anywhere, 
using encryption to ensure a secure and private connection. 
SEC. 152. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON TRANSPORTATION 
SERVICES BY THIRD PARTIES FOR RURAL VETERANS. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 540 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on the program the establishment of which 
was facilitated under section 111A(b) of title 38, United States 
Code. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under subsection (a) shall 
include the following: 
(1) A description of the program described in such sub-
section, including descriptions of the following: 
(A) The purpose of the program. 
(B) The activities carried out under the program. 
(2) An assessment of the sufficiency of the program with 
respect to the purpose of the program. 
(3) An assessment of the cost effectiveness of the program 
in comparison to alternatives. 
(4) An assessment of the health benefits for veterans who 
have participated in the program. 
(5) An assessment of the sufficiency of staffing of employees 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs who are responsible 
for facilitating the maintenance of the program. 
(6) An assessment, with respect to the purpose of the 
program, of the number of vehicles owned by and operating 
in conjunction with the program. 
(7) An assessment of the awareness and usage of the pro-
gram by veterans and their families. 
(8) An assessment of other options for transportation under 
the program, such as local taxi companies and ridesharing 
programs such as Uber and Lyft.
H. R. 2617—971 
SEC. 153. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON TELEHEALTH SERV-
ICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on telehealth services provided by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include an assessment of the following: 
(1) The telehealth and virtual health care programs of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, including VA Video Con-
nect. 
(2) The challenges faced by the Department in delivering 
telehealth and virtual health care to veterans who reside in 
rural and highly rural areas due to lack of connectivity in 
many rural areas. 
(3) Any mitigation strategies used by the Department to 
overcome connectivity barriers for veterans who reside in rural 
and highly rural areas. 
(4) The partnerships entered into by the Office of Connected 
Care of the Department in an effort to bolster telehealth serv-
ices. 
(5) The extent to which the Department has examined 
the effectiveness of health care services provided to veterans 
through telehealth in comparison to in-person treatment. 
(6) Satisfaction of veterans with respect to the telehealth 
services provided by the Department. 
(7) The use by the Department of telehealth appointments 
in comparison to referrals to care under the Veterans Commu-
nity Care Program under section 1703 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
(8) Such other areas as the Comptroller General considers 
appropriate. 
Subtitle E—Care for Aging Veterans 
SEC. 161. STRATEGY FOR LONG-TERM CARE FOR AGING VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
develop a strategy for the long-term care of veterans. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy developed under subsection (a) 
shall— 
(1) identify current and future needs for the long-term 
care of veterans based on demographic data and availability 
of services both from the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
from non-Department providers in the community, include 
other Federal Government, non-Federal Government, nonprofit, 
for profit, and other entities; 
(2) identify the current and future needs of veterans for 
both institutional and non-institutional long-term care (for 
example, home-based and community-based services), taking 
into account the needs of growing veteran population groups, 
including women veterans, veterans with traumatic brain 
injury, veterans with memory loss, and other population groups 
with unique needs; and
H. R. 2617—972 
(3) address new and different care delivery models, 
including by— 
(A) assessing the implications of such models for the 
design of facilities and how those facilities may need to 
change; 
(B) examining the workforce needed to support aging 
populations of veterans as they grow and receive long- 
term care through different trends of care delivery; and 
(C) considering the feasibility and advisability of imple-
menting a veteran-focused independent provider model for 
non-institutional care. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
a report on the strategy developed under subsection (a). 
SEC. 162. IMPROVEMENT OF STATE VETERANS HOMES. 
(a) STANDARDIZED SHARING AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall develop a standardized process throughout 
the Department of Veterans Affairs for entering into sharing agree-
ments between State homes and medical centers of the Department. 
(b) PROVISION OF MEDICATION TO CATASTROPHICALLY DISABLED 
VETERANS.—Section 1745(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Any veteran who has been determined by the Secretary 
to be catastrophically disabled, as defined in section 17.36(e) 
of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regula-
tions, and on whose behalf the Secretary is paying a per diem 
for nursing home or domiciliary care in a State home under 
this chapter.’’. 
(c) OVERSIGHT OF INSPECTIONS.— 
(1) MONITORING.—The Secretary shall monitor any con-
tractor used by the Department to conduct inspections of State 
homes, including by reviewing the inspections conducted by 
each such contractor for quality not less frequently than quar-
terly. 
(2) REPORTING
OF
DEFICIENCIES.—The Secretary shall 
require that any deficiencies of a State home noted during 
the inspection of the State home be reported to the Secretary. 
(3) TRANSPARENCY.—The Secretary shall publish the results 
of any inspection of a State home, and any associated corrective 
actions planned by the State home, on a publicly available 
internet website of the Department. 
(d) STATE HOME DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘State 
home’’ has the meaning given that term in section 101(19) of title 
38, United States Code. 
SEC. 163. GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY PILOT PROGRAM AT STATE VET-
ERANS HOMES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
commence the conduct of a pilot program under which the Secretary 
shall provide geriatric psychiatry assistance to eligible veterans 
at State homes. 
(b) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under this section for a two-year period. 
(c) TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.—Assistance provided under the pilot 
program under this section may include—
H. R. 2617—973 
(1) direct provision of geriatric psychiatry services, 
including health care if feasible; 
(2) payments to non-Department of Veterans Affairs pro-
viders in the community to provide such services; 
(3) collaboration with other Federal agencies to provide 
such services; or 
(4) such other forms of assistance as the Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
(d) CONSIDERATION
OF
LOCAL
AREA
NEEDS.—In providing 
assistance under the pilot program under this section, the Secretary 
shall consider the geriatric psychiatry needs of the local area, 
including by considering— 
(1) State homes with a high proportion of residents with 
unmet mental health needs; 
(2) State homes located in mental health care health profes-
sional shortage areas designated under section 332 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e); or 
(3) State homes located in rural or highly rural areas. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘State home’’ and 
‘‘veteran’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 101 
of title 38, United States Code. 
SEC. 164. SUPPORT FOR AGING VETERANS AT RISK OF OR EXPERI-
ENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall work 
with public housing authorities and local organizations to assist 
aging homeless veterans in accessing existing housing and sup-
portive services, including health services like home-based and 
community-based services from the Department of Veterans Affairs 
or from non-Department providers in the community. 
(b) PAYMENT FOR SERVICES.—The Secretary may, and is encour-
aged to, pay for services for aging homeless veterans described 
in subsection (a). 
SEC. 165. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACT AUTHORITY 
FOR PAYMENT OF CARE FOR VETERANS IN NON-DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FOSTER HOMES. 
(a) AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1720 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(h)(1) During the five-year period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph 
Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement 
Act of 2022, and subject to paragraph (3)— 
‘‘(A) at the request of a veteran for whom the Secretary 
is required to provide nursing home care under section 1710A 
of this title, the Secretary may place the veteran in a medical 
foster home that meets Department standards, at the expense 
of the United States, pursuant to a contract, agreement, or 
other arrangement entered into between the Secretary and 
the medical foster home for such purpose; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary may pay for care of a veteran placed 
in a medical foster home before such date of enactment, if 
the home meets Department standards, pursuant to a contract, 
agreement, or other arrangement entered into between the 
Secretary and the medical foster home for such purpose.