Veterans Health Access Act

Bill: 113-hr-2412
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Barber, Ron [D-AZ-2]
Introduced: 2013-06-18
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative remedies

Department of Veterans Affairs

Health care coverage and access

Public contracts and procurement

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2013-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-06-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Veterans Health Access Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, when it is determined that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities are not capable of furnishing economic hospital care or medical services because of geographical inaccessibility or the care or services required, to determine whether or not to furnish such care or services to a veteran in a non-VA facility. Requires such determination to be made within 30 days following the request for such care or services.</p> <p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2412 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 18, 2013 Mr. Barber (for himself and Mr. Heck of Nevada ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to consider the best interest of the veteran when determining whether the veteran should receive certain contracted health care.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Health Access Act . 2. Determination of contract care authority for health care needs of veterans Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking When Department facilities and everything that follows through required, and inserting In any case described in subsection (e)(1), ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (e) Eligibility (1) A case described in this paragraph is any case— (A) when Department facilities are not capable of furnishing— (i) economical hospital care or medical services because of geographical inaccessibility; or (ii) the care or services required; or (B) in which a physician of the Department determines that it is in the best interest of a veteran to receive hospital or medical services furnished in a non-Department facility in accordance with subsection (a). (2) The Secretary shall determine whether or not to furnish to a veteran care or services in a non-Department facility pursuant to this section by the date that is 30 days after the date on which the veteran requests such care or services. .