Repeals a statement of congressional purpose regarding the sharing of health care resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs with certain other entities.
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to share all health care resources (currently, only specialized medical resources) with medical schools, health-care facilities and research centers (current law), as well as with any health-care provider or plan, insurer, or other entity or individual.
Repeals a provision requiring reciprocal reimbursement of the cost of such shared resources, instead providing for payment to the Department under procedures which allow appropriate flexibility to negotiate a payment which is in the best interest of the Government.
Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an arrangement that authorizes the furnishing of services to non-veterans only if the Secretary determines that such an arrangement: (1) will not result in the denial of or delay in the provision of care to any veteran at that facility; and (2) is necessary to maintain an acceptable level and quality of service to veterans and will result in the improvement of services to eligible veterans at that facility.
[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3321 Introduced in House (IH)]
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3321
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the authority of the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into sharing agreements relating
to use of health care resources.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 25, 1996
Mr. Weller introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the authority of the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into sharing agreements relating
to use of health care resources.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHARING AGREEMENTS FOR HEALTH CARE RESOURCES.
(a) Repeal of Section 8151.--(1) Subchapter IV of chapter 81 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(A) by striking out section 8151; and
(B) by redesignating sections 8152, 8153, 8154, 8155, 8156,
8157, and 8158 as sections 8151, 8152, 8153, 8154, 8155, 8156,
and 8157, respectively.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is
amended--
(A) by striking out the item relating to section 8151; and
(B) by revising the items relating to sections 8152, 8153,
8154, 8155, 8156, 8157, and 8158 to reflect the redesignations
made by paragraph (1)(B).
(b) Revised Authority for Sharing Agreements.--Section 8152 of such
title (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(A)--
(A) by striking out ``specialized medical
resources'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``health-care
resources''; and
(B) by striking out ``other'' and all that follows
through ``medical schools'' and inserting in lieu
thereof ``any medical school, health-care provider,
health-care plan, insurer, or other entity or
individual'';
(2) in subsection (a)(2) by striking out ``only'' and all
that follows through ``are not'' and inserting in lieu thereof
``if such resources are not, or would not be,'';
(3) in subsection (b), by striking out ``reciprocal
reimbursement'' in the first sentence and all that follows
through the period at the end of that sentence and inserting in
lieu thereof ``payment to the Department in accordance with
procedures that provide appropriate flexibility to negotiate
payment which is in the best interest of the Government.'';
(4) in subsection (d), by striking out ``preclude such
payment, in accordance with--'' and all that follows through
``to such facility therefor'' and inserting in lieu thereof
``preclude such payment to such facility for such care or
services'';
(5) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(6) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsection (e):
``(e) The Secretary may make an arrangement that authorizes the
furnishing of services by the Secretary under this section to
individuals who are not veterans only if the Secretary determines--
``(1) that such an arrangement will not result in the
denial of, or a delay in providing access to, care to any
veteran at that facility; and
``(2) that such an arrangement--
``(A) is necessary to maintain an acceptable level
and quality of service to veterans at that facility; or
``(B) will result in the improvement of services to
eligible veterans at that facility.''.
(c) Cross-Reference Amendments.--(1) Section 8110(c)(3)(A) of such
title is amended by striking out ``8153'' and inserting in lieu thereof
``8152''.
(2) Subsection (b) of section 8154 of such title (as redesignated
by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking out ``section 8154''
and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8153''.
(3) Section 8156 of such title (as redesignated by subsection
(a)(1)(B)) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a), by striking out ``section 8153(a)''
and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8152(a)''; and
(B) in subsection (b)(3), by striking out ``section 8153''
and inserting in lieu thereof ``section 8152''.
(4) Subsection (a) of section 8157 of such title (as redesignated
by subsection (a)(1)(B)) is amended--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking out
``section 8157'' and ``section 8153(a)'' and inserting in lieu
thereof ``section 8156'' and ``section 8152(a)'', respectively;
and
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking out ``section
8157(b)(4)'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``section
8156(b)(4)''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Hospitals and Health Care.
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