[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3702 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3702

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs with the authority to reimburse veterans enrolled in 
   the veterans health care system for the cost of emergency care or 
  services received in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1998

  Mr. Evans introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs with the authority to reimburse veterans enrolled in 
   the veterans health care system for the cost of emergency care or 
  services received in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

    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 ``Veterans' Access to Emergency Health 
Care Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE IN NON-DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FACILITIES FOR ENROLLED VETERANS.

    (a) Contract Care.--Section 1703(a)(3) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``who is enrolled under section 1705 of 
this title or who is'' after ``health of a veteran''.
    (b) Definition of Medical Services.--Section 1701(6) of such title 
is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
            (2) by striking out the period at the end of subparagraph 
        (B) and inserting in lieu thereof ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(C) emergency care, or reimbursement for such care, as 
        described in sections 1703(a)(3) and 1728(a)(2)(E) of this 
        title.''.
    (c) Reimbursement of Expenses for Emergency Care.--Section 
1728(a)(2) of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``or'' before ``(D)''; and
            (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the 
        following: ``, or (E) for any medical emergency which poses a 
        serious threat to the life or health of a veteran enrolled 
        under section 1705 of this title''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to care or services provided on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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