DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-4011
Sponsor: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2015-11-16 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Health promotion and preventive care
Medical education
Medicare
Mental health
Nursing
Rural conditions and development
Student aid and college costs
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: 

Delivering Opportunities for Care and Services for Veterans Act of 2015 or the DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Social Security Act with respect to determining the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) residents for payments to hospitals for direct graduate medical education (GME) costs, in particular the limitation on the total number of FTE residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine in a hospital's approved medical residency training program. In applying this limitation, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall not take into account any such resident that is filling a GME residency position that counts towards meeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) obligation under the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to increase the number of GME residency positions at VA medical facilities by up to 1,500 positions.
 
The period for increasing GME residency positions at VA medical facilities is extended to 10 years.
 
 The VA and HHS shall jointly conduct a six-year pilot program to establish at least three graduate behavioral medicine residency programs in underserved areas in the United States. 
 
Education and training of marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health counselors shall be included in VA health personnel education and training programs.
 
Persons with a doctoral degree in mental health counseling are eligible for appointment to a VA mental health counselor position.
 
Physician assistants in VA facilities must receive pay competitive with pay for similar positions in non-VA facilities in the same labor market.
 
Not less than 30% of debt reduction payments paid under the education debt reduction program each year shall be paid to individuals who practice medicine in a rural or highly rural area. 
 
The positions (and pay) of Directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks are established.
 
 The VA shall conduct a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of implementing in rural and highly rural areas with a large percentage of veterans a nurse advice line to provide veterans with medical advice, appointment and cancellation services, and information on the availability of VA benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-11-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-11-16
text: Introduced in House