Improving Access to VA Care Act

Improving Access to VA Care Act

This bill makes additional veterans eligible for a temporary disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and access to health care services.

The VA shall assign a temporary disability rating to certain veterans who file a disability compensation claim and schedule a related medical examination as soon as practicable. Such temporary disability rating shall remain in effect until a formal rating decision is issued.

The VA shall provide hospital care and medical services to such veterans while they are waiting for a formal disability rating. If the VA determines that a veteran does not have a service-connected disability and does not qualify for VA medical services the veteran shall not owe the VA for such services and the VA shall assist the veteran in finding non-VA medical services.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4727 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4727

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to assign temporary disability ratings to certain 
 veterans for purposes of compensation and health care, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 21, 2017

Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico 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 assign temporary disability ratings to certain 
 veterans for purposes of compensation and health care, 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 ``Improving Access to VA Care Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY DISABILITY RATING.

    (a) In General.--Section 1156 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by adding at the end the 
        following new subparagraph:
            ``(E) To a veteran who--
                    ``(i) is not described in subparagraph (A), (B), 
                (C), or (D); and
                    ``(ii) files a claim for disability compensation 
                under this chapter.'';
            (2) by adding after paragraph (3) of subsection (a) the 
        following new paragraph:
    ``(4) With respect to a veteran described in paragraph (1)(E), the 
Secretary shall schedule a medical examination for such veteran 
concerning the disability of the veteran as soon as is practicable 
after the veteran files a claim for disability compensation under this 
chapter.''; and
            (3) in subsection (b)(1), by adding after subparagraph (D) 
        the following new subparagraph:
            ``(E) For a veteran who is assigned a temporary disability 
        rating under subsection (a)(1)(E), until the date on which a 
        rating decision is issued to such veteran following the medical 
        examination scheduled under subsection (a)(4).''.
    (b) Health Care.--Section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(3)--
                    (A) by striking ``and veterans described'' and 
                inserting ``veterans described''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, and veterans assigned a 
                temporary disability rating under section 1156(a)(1)(E) 
                of this title'' after ``of this title''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection (d):
    ``(d)(1) The Secretary shall assist a veteran described in 
paragraph (3) in finding hospital care and medical services to be 
provided to the veteran by non-Department facilities or providers after 
the Secretary ceases to furnish such care and services under this 
chapter to the veteran.
    ``(2) A veteran described in paragraph (3) shall not owe the United 
States for any costs of hospital care or medical services described in 
subparagraph (A) of such paragraph.
    ``(3) A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who--
            ``(A) received hospital care and medical services under 
        this chapter pursuant to a temporary disability rating assigned 
        under section 1156(a)(1)(E) of this title; and
            ``(B) the Secretary determines does not have a service-
        connected disability.''.
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