Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a FY 2006 through 2008 pilot program to improve health care access for rural veterans.
States that: (1) the program shall be conducted in three geographic service regions (Veterans Integrated Service Networks) of the Veterans Health Administration; and (2) medical services shall be provided by non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers for acute or chronic symptom management, non-therapeutic medical services, and other medical services as determined by the director of the appropriate geographic service region.
Obligates program funds.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1741 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1741
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program
to improve access to health care for rural veterans, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2005
Mr. Osborne (for himself, Mr. Kind, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. Ross, Mr.
Paul, Mr. Otter, Mr. Case, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Shimkus, Mr.
Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Porter, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Wamp, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Green of Wisconsin, Mr.
McIntyre, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Norwood, Mrs. Emerson, and
Mrs. Musgrave) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program
to improve access to health care for rural veterans, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Veterans Access to Care Act of
2005''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR RURAL
VETERANS.
(a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct
a pilot program for a means to improve access to medical services for
highly rural or geographically remote veterans through expanded use of
the Secretary 's contract authority under section 1703 of title 38,
United States Code, and other authorities available to the Secretary to
improve such access.
(b) Areas for Conduct of Pilot Program.--The pilot program shall be
conducted in three geographic service regions, referred to as Veterans
Integrated Service Networks, of the Veterans Health Administration. The
Secretary shall select the Veterans Integrated Service Network
designated as Number 23 as one of the regions for the conduct of the
pilot program and shall select the other two from those Veterans
Integrated Service Networks that have a substantial population of
highly rural or geographically remote veterans (as determined under
subsection (f)).
(c) Medical Services Under Pilot Program.--Under the pilot program,
the Secretary shall provide, through the use of the Secretary's
contract authority under section 1703 of title 38, United States Code,
and other authorities available to the Secretary, for the treatment of
covered veterans by health-care providers outside the Department of
Veterans Affairs for the following:
(1) Acute or chronic symptom management.
(2) Nontherapeutic medical services.
(3) Other medical services as determined appropriate in the
case of any veteran by the director of the appropriate
geographic service region of the Department, after consultation
with the Department physician responsible for primary care of
the veteran.
(d) Funds for Pilot Program.--For any fiscal year during which the
pilot program is conducted, the Secretary shall allocate for the pilot
program 0.9 percent of the total amount appropriated for that fiscal
year for Medical Services. Such allocation shall be made before any
other allocation of such funds is made, and any remaining allocation of
such funds for any such fiscal year shall be made without regard to the
allocation under the preceding sentence.
(e) Covered Veterans.--For the purposes of this section, covered
veterans are veterans--
(1) who are enrolled in the veterans health care system
under section 1705 of this title or have a service-connected
disability; and
(2) who, pursuant to subsection (f), are considered to be
highly rural or geographically remote veterans.
(f) Highly Rural or Geographically Remote Veterans.--The Secretary
shall prescribe by regulation standards for determination of which
veterans are considered to be highly rural or geographically remote
veterans for the purposes of this section. The Secretary shall include
as such a veteran any veteran for whom the driving distance to reach a
Department health-care facility is 60 miles or greater. The Secretary
may provide for a lesser driving distance in the case of any veteran if
the Secretary determines that driving 60 miles or more imposes a
hardship on such veteran or otherwise is not in the best interest of
the veteran.
(g) Period of Pilot Program.--The pilot program shall be conducted
during fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008.
(h) Report to Congress.--Not later than February 1, 2009, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the operation of the
pilot program. The Secretary shall include in the report such
recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate concerning
extension of the pilot program or other means to improve access to
medical services for highly rural or geographically remote veterans.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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