IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7277 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2022 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To improve the methods by which the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs identifies health care providers that are not eligi-
ble to participate in the Veterans Community Care Pro-
gram. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Oversight 
of Veterans Community Care Providers Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS 
THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN 
VETERANS COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM. 
(a) PLAN.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through 
the Under Secretary for Health, shall carry out a 
plan to improve the methods by which the Secretary 
identifies health care providers that are not eligible 
to participate in the Veterans Community Care Pro-
gram. 
(2) MATTERS
INCLUDED.—The plan under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) Modifying the standard operating pro-
cedures of the Office of Community Care of the 
Veterans Health Administration regarding the 
exclusion of health care providers from partici-
pating in the Veterans Community Care Pro-
gram to require the automated continuous 
matching of health care providers in the Pro-
vider Profile Management System of the Vet-
erans Health Administration, or such successor 
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system, with covered data systems using mul-
tiple unique identifiers, including taxpayer iden-
tification number, national provider identifier, 
Social Security number, and date of birth. 
(B) A fraud risk analysis conducted by the 
Office of Community Care regarding the exclu-
sion of health care providers from participating 
in the Veterans Community Care Program that 
includes— 
(i) an assessment of the likelihood and 
impact of inherent fraud risks relating to 
the self-certification of State licenses and 
addresses provided by health care pro-
viders; 
(ii) a determination of the fraud risk 
tolerance; and 
(iii) an examination of the suitability 
of existing fraud controls. 
(C) Any other matters the Under Sec-
retary determines will improve the oversight of 
health care providers participating in the Vet-
erans Community Care Program. 
(b) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
certify to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
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House of Representatives and the Senate that the Sec-
retary has implemented the plan under subsection (a). 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate a report that— 
(A) describes the progress the Under Sec-
retary has made in carrying out the plan under 
subsection (a); and 
(B) includes recommendations for legisla-
tive action to further improve the methods by 
which the Secretary identifies health care pro-
viders that are not eligible to participate in the 
Veterans Community Care Program. 
(2) UPDATE.—Not later than two years after 
the date on which the Secretary submits the report 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate an update to the re-
port. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered data systems’’ means 
the following: 
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(A) The List of Excluded Individuals/Enti-
ties of the Office of Inspector General of the 
Department of Health and Human Services. 
(B) The System for Award Management 
Exclusions list described in part 9 of title 48, 
Code of Federal Regulations, and part 180 of 
title 2 of such Code, or successor regulations. 
(C) The monthly deactivation file of the 
National Plan and Provider Enumeration Sys-
tem of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services. 
(D) The National Practitioner Data Bank 
established pursuant to the Health Care Quality 
Improvement Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 11101 et 
seq.). 
(2) The term ‘‘Veterans Community Care Pro-
gram’’ means the program established under section 
1703 of title 38, United States Code. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 17, 
2022. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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