Veterans' Credit Protection Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Credit Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING EFFECT OF CERTAIN DELAYED 
              PAYMENTS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CHIEF BUSINESS 
              OFFICE.

    (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 a claim for emergency hospital care, 
medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through a 
non-Department of Veterans Affairs provider. The Secretary shall 
establish a toll-free telephone number for veterans to report such 
credit issues to the Chief Business Office of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
    (b) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        annually submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness of 
        the Chief Business Office in providing timely payment of proper 
        invoices for emergency hospital care, medical services, or 
        other emergency health care furnished through non-Department of 
        Veterans Affairs providers by the required payment date during 
        both the five-year period preceding the date of the report and 
        the one-year period preceding such date. For any part of the 
        period covered by a report under this subsection that occurred 
        before October 1, 2014, the report shall evaluate the provision 
        of such payments by the Veterans Integrated Service Networks.
            (2) Matters included.--The reports under paragraph (1) 
        shall include, for each 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 total amount of interest penalties paid by 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of 
                title 31, United States Code, by reason of a delayed 
                payment.
                    (C) The number of proper invoices submitted, listed 
                in a table for each quarter and fiscal year of each 
                such period that includes--
                            (i) the total amount owed by the Secretary 
                        under the proper invoices;
                            (ii) the payment status of each proper 
                        invoice, as of the date of the report; and
                            (iii) the period that elapsed until each 
                        proper invoice was paid, including an 
                        explanation of any delayed payment.
                    (D) Any comments regarding delayed payments made by 
                medical providers.
                    (E) A description of the best practices that the 
                Chief Business Office can carry out to provide timely 
                payment of a proper invoice, including a plan to 
                improve such timely payments.
    (c) Quarterly Reports on Pending Claims.--The Chief Business Office 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress 
quarterly reports on the number of pending claims for reimbursement for 
emergency hospital care, medical services, and other emergency health 
care furnished through non-Department of Veterans Affairs providers. 
Each such report shall include each of the following:
            (1) The total number of such pending claims for each 
        hospital system of the Department, as of the last day of the 
        quarter covered by the report.
            (2) The total number of veterans who submitted such a 
        pending claim in each State, as of such day.
            (3) The aggregate amount of all such pending claims in each 
        State, as of such day.
            (4) As of such day--
                    (A) the number of such pending claims that have 
                been pending for 30 days or longer;
                    (B) the number of such pending claims that have 
                been pending for 90 days or longer; and
                    (C) the number of such pending claims that have 
                been pending for 365 days or longer.
            (5) For each hospital system, for the quarter covered by 
        the report--
                    (A) the number of claims for reimbursement for 
                emergency hospital care, medical services, and other 
                emergency health care furnished through non-Department 
                of Veterans Affairs providers approved during such 
                quarter;
                    (B) the number of such claims denied during such 
                quarter; and
                    (C) the number of such claims denied listed by each 
                denial reason group.
    (d) Comptroller General Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study that evaluates the effectiveness 
        of the Chief Business Office in providing timely payment of a 
        proper invoice for emergency hospital care, medical services, 
        or other emergency health care furnished through non-Department 
        of Veterans Affairs providers by the required payment date.
            (2) Submittal.--The Comptroller General shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1), 
        including the total amount of interest penalties paid by the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of title 31, 
        United States Code, by reason of a delayed payment.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``delayed payment'' means a proper invoice 
        that is not paid by the Secretary of Veterans 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 the date that 
        payment is due for a contract pursuant to section 3903(a) of 
        title 31, United States Code.

Summary: Veterans' Credit Protection Act  Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) conduct outreach to inform veterans of how to resolve credit issues caused by a delayed payment of a claim for emergency hospital care, medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through a non-VA provider; and (2) establish a toll-free telephone number for veterans to report such issues to the Chief Business Office of the VA. Requires the VA to report annually on the effectiveness of such Office in providing timely payment of proper invoices for emergency hospital care, medical services, or other emergency health care furnished through non-VA providers by the required payment date during both the preceding five-year period and the preceding one-year period. Requires the report, for any part of the period covered by such a report that occurred before October 1, 2014, to evaluate the provision of such payments by the Veterans Integrated Service Networks.  Requires such report to include:   the number of veterans who contacted the VA regarding delayed payments that could negatively affect their credit; the total amount of interest penalties paid by the VA by reason of delayed payments; the number of proper invoices submitted, the amount owed for and the payment status of such invoices, and the periods that elapsed before such invoices were paid; any comments regarding delayed payments made by medical providers; and  a description of the best practices to provide timely payment of a proper invoice, including a plan to improve such timely payments.  Directs: (1) the Office to submit to Congress quarterly reports on the number of pending claims for reimbursement for emergency hospital care, medical services, and other emergency health care furnished through non-VA providers; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct a study that evaluates the effectiveness of the Office in providing timely payment of a proper invoice for such care by the required payment date.