Title: BEST for Vets Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Better Examiner Standards and Transparency for Veterans Act of 2019 or the BEST for Vets Act of 2019
This bill provides that only health care providers who are licensed and not barred from practice may furnish medical disability examinations under the Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program related to using contract physicians for disability examinations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1101 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1101

 To ensure that only licensed health care providers furnish disability 
   examinations under a certain Department of Veterans Affairs pilot 
program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 10, 2019

 Mr. Rubio (for himself and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To ensure that only licensed health care providers furnish disability 
   examinations under a certain Department of Veterans Affairs pilot 
program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Better Examiner Standards and 
Transparency for Veterans Act of 2019'' or the ``BEST for Vets Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING ONLY LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FURNISH MEDICAL 
              DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS UNDER CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM FOR USE CONTRACT 
              PHYSICIANS FOR DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS.

    (a) Prohibition on Use of Certain Health Care Providers.--Section 
504(a) of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 
104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Secretary of Veterans Affairs'' and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(2) Prohibition.--No examination described in paragraph 
        (1) may be carried out under this section by any health care 
        provider other than one described in subsection (c)(2).''.
    (b) Remedies.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such 
actions as the Secretary considers appropriate to ensure that only 
health care providers described in subsection (c)(2) of section 504 of 
the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 
U.S.C. 5101 note) are conducting examinations pursuant to contracts 
entered into under such section.
    (c) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once each year 
thereafter, the Secretary 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--
            (1) the conduct of the pilot program established under 
        section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 
        (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note); and
            (2) the actions of the Secretary under subsection (b).
    (d) Technical Corrections.--Section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits 
Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is 
amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``physicians'' and 
        inserting ``health care providers''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Physicians'' and inserting ``Health Care Providers'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), in the paragraph heading, by 
                striking ``Physician'' and inserting ``Health care 
                provider'';
                    (C) in paragraph (1), by striking ``physicians'' 
                and inserting ``health care providers''; and
                    (D) by striking ``physician'' each place it appears 
                and inserting ``health care provider''.
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