[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)''.
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