Expanding Veterans' Access to Choice Act

Bill: 115-hr-2478
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9]
Introduced: 2017-05-17
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health personnel

Home and outpatient care

Hospital care

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2017-05-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Expanding Veterans' Access to Choice Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to provide that a veteran who lives within 40 miles (calculated on distance traveled) of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility, including a community-based outpatient clinic, remains eligible to receive Veterans Choice program services through an approved private health care center if: (1) the VA cannot assign a full-time primary care physician to the veteran at any VA facility within such distance, or (2) no VA facility within such distance provides the needed hospital care or medical treatment. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2478 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 17, 2017 Mr. Collins of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Coffman , Mr. Ryan of Ohio , Mr. Smith of Texas , and Mr. LaMalfa ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to clarify the distance requirement with respect to determining the eligibility of veterans to receive hospital care and medical services from non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanding Veterans’ Access to Choice Act . 2. Clarification of distance and referral requirements under the Veterans Choice Program Subsection (b)(2) of section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 ; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (E) resides within 40 miles (as calculated based on distance traveled) of a medical facility of the Department, including a community-based outpatient clinic, but— (i) the Secretary is unable to assign a full-time primary care physician to the veteran at any such facility within such distance; or (ii) no such facility within such distance provides the hospital care or medical treatment the veteran needs. .