Title: Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2017
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the VA's existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility providing the care they seek.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1844 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1844

     To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use existing 
   authorities to furnish health care at non-Department of Veterans 
  Affairs facilities to veterans who live more than 40 miles driving 
   distance from the closest medical facility of the Department that 
               furnishes the care sought by the veteran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2017

Mr. Ruiz (for himself and Ms. Stefanik) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use existing 
   authorities to furnish health care at non-Department of Veterans 
  Affairs facilities to veterans who live more than 40 miles driving 
   distance from the closest medical facility of the Department that 
               furnishes the care sought by the veteran.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Access to Community Care 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. USE OF EXISTING DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORITIES TO 
              FURNISH HEALTH CARE TO CERTAIN VETERANS WHO HAVE 
              GEOGRAPHIC INACCESSIBILITY TO CARE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall use the 
authorities specified in subsection (b) to furnish hospital care and 
medical services at non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities to 
veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the 
closest medical facility of the Department to the residence of the 
veteran that furnishes the hospital care or medical services that are 
sought by the veteran, including a community-based outpatient clinic.
    (b) Authorities.--The authorities specified in this subsection are 
the following:
            (1) Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, relating 
        to contracts for the furnishing of hospital care and medical 
        services through non-Department facilities.
            (2) Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
        Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 128 Stat. 175), 
        relating to the furnishing of hospital care and medical 
        services to veterans through non-Department entities if the 
        veteran is unable to schedule an appointment for the receipt of 
        such care or services within the wait-time goals of the 
        Veterans Health Administration.
            (3) Any other authority under the laws administered by the 
        Secretary relating to the furnishing of hospital care and 
        medical services at non-Department facilities.
    (c) Hospital Care and Medical Services.--In this section, the terms 
``hospital care'' and ``medical services'' have the meanings given such 
terms in section 1701 of title 38, United States Code.
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