Improving Veterans Access to Care in the Community Act

Bill: 114-s-2633
Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2016-03-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Appropriations
Debt collection
Department of Veterans Affairs
Disability and paralysis
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Executive agency funding and structure
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Hospital care
Indian social and development programs
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Military medicine
Minority health
Public contracts and procurement
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-03
text: 

Improving Veterans Access to Care in the Community Act

 
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into contracts or agreements with eligible providers to furnish hospital care and medical services to electing, eligible veterans, which include veterans who are unable to schedule an appointment with a VA health care provider within a specified time frame or who do not reside within 40 miles of a VA medical facility. Such provisions may be referred to as the Veterans Choice Program.
 
VA reimbursement of veterans for emergency treatment in a non-VA facilities is expanded to include urgent care. 
 
If the VA is not able to furnish hospital care, medical services, or extended care at VA facilities or under contracts or sharing agreements, the VA may furnish such care and services by entering into Veterans Care Agreements with certified eligible providers. The VA shall: (1) establish a system to monitor the quality of care and services provided under such Agreements, and (2) review Agreements exceeding $1 million annually at least once every two years. 
 
The bill allows VA agreements with state homes to provide nursing home care for veterans with a service-connected disability to be entered into without the use of competitive procedures.
 
The bill requires advance appropriations for the Care in the Community Account of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
 
The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 is amended to direct the VA to annually transfer to the VHA an amount estimated to be needed to furnish hospital care, medical services, and other health care through non-VA providers. 
 
The requirement that the VA act as a secondary payer for certain non-service connected disability care is eliminated.
 
Veterans Choice Fund amounts may be used to: (1) carry out certain disability examinations by non-VA providers; and (2) provide hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care at non-VA facilities.
 
The VA may record as a U.S. obligation amounts owed for hospital care or medical services furnished at non-VA facilities on the date the payment claim is approved.
 
The bill requires the VA to be treated as a participating provider for purposes of allowing recovery of costs incurred in providing care to a veteran for a non-service connected disability that is covered under the veteran's health plan contract.
 
The VA shall assign each veteran enrolled in the annual patient enrollment system a full-time primary care provider using specified distance and travel criteria. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-15
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-558.
action_date: 2016-03-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-03
text: Introduced in Senate