VA Emergency Transportation Act

VA Emergency Transportation Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse a veteran for the reasonable value of emergency transportation by a non-VA provider (1) to a facility for emergency treatment, or (2) from a non-VA facility where the veteran was treated to a VA or other federal facility for additional care.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1774 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1774

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to reimburse veterans for the 
cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2023

 Mr. Alford (for himself, Mrs. Rodgers of Washington, Mr. Steube, Mrs. 
    Kim of California, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Kilmer, and Mr. Neguse) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to reimburse veterans for the 
cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility, 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 ``VA Emergency Transportation Act''.

SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION TO A FEDERAL 
              FACILITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 1725 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``emergency treatment'' and 
        inserting ``emergency services'';
            (2) by striking ``the emergency treatment'' each place it 
        appears and inserting ``such emergency services'';
            (3) by striking ``such treatment'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``such emergency services'';
            (4) by striking ``that treatment'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``such emergency services'';
            (5) by striking ``the treatment'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``such emergency services'';
            (6) by striking ``in a non-Department facility'' each place 
        it appears;
            (7) by striking ``same treatment'' and inserting ``same 
        emergency services'';
            (8) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ``health care 
        provider that furnished the treatment'' and inserting 
        ``provider that furnished such emergency services'';
            (9) in subsections (a) through (d), as amended by the 
        preceding paragraphs, by striking ``emergency treatment'' each 
        place it appears and inserting ``emergency services'';
            (10) in subsection (b)(3)(B), by striking ``(h)(2)(B) or 
        (h)(2)(C)'' and inserting ``(h)(4)(B) or (h)(4)(C)'';
            (11) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) by striking ``treatment provided'' and 
                inserting ``emergency services furnished''; and
                    (B) by striking ``was provided'' and inserting 
                ``was furnished'';
            (12) in subsection (g), by striking ``for emergency 
        treatment'' and inserting ``for emergency services''; and
            (13) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (1), (2), and (3) as 
                paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively;
                    (B) in paragraph (3), as redesignated, insert ``in 
                a non-Department facility'' after ``services 
                furnished''; and
                    (C) by inserting before paragraph (3), as 
                redesignated, the following new paragraphs (1) and (2):
            ``(1) The term `emergency services' includes emergency 
        treatment and emergency transportation.
            ``(2) The term `emergency transportation' means 
        transportation of a veteran by ambulance or air ambulance by a 
        non-Department provider--
                    ``(A) to a facility for emergency treatment; or
                    ``(B) from a non-Department facility where such 
                veteran received emergency treatment--
                            ``(i) to a Department or other Federal 
                        facility; and
                            ``(ii) at a time described in paragraph 
                        (3)(C).''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Definition of emergency treatment.--Section 1728(c) of 
        such title is amended by striking ``1725(h)(1)'' and inserting 
        ``1725(h)''.
            (2) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking 
        ``emergency treatment'' and inserting ``emergency services''.
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