[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4852 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4852

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the geographic 
   allocation of funds made available to the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs for medical care on a basis that better reflects the veterans 
 population of different regions of the country and that accounts for 
 significant shifts in the veterans populations in those regions, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2002

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the geographic 
   allocation of funds made available to the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs for medical care on a basis that better reflects the veterans 
 population of different regions of the country and that accounts for 
 significant shifts in the veterans populations in those regions, 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 ``Veterans Medical Care Improvement 
and Equity Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The current Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation 
        (VERA) system fails to adequately distribute Department of 
        Veterans Affairs medical care resources to where veterans 
        actually reside in accordance with section 429 of Public Law 
        104-204 (110 Stat. 2929).
            (2) The number of veterans seeking medical care in the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs health care system is far 
        outstripping the ability of that system to provide care to all 
        veterans in need.
            (3) There are currently thousands of Category 1 through 6 
        veterans with service-connected disabilities who are on waiting 
        lists to enroll in the Department of Veterans Affairs health 
        care system.
            (4) There are Category 7 veterans with serious health care 
        needs who are enrolled or awaiting enrollment in the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs health care system.

SEC. 3. REVISION TO GEOGRAPHIC ALLOCATION METHOD FOR FUNDS APPROPRIATED 
              FOR VETERANS MEDICAL CARE.

    (a) In General.--(1) In applying the VERA system to the allocation 
of VA medical care funds for any fiscal year among the geographic 
service areas of the Veterans Health Administration, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall make such allocation in accordance with this 
section. In determining the number of veterans served by any such 
geographic service area for purposes of such allocations, the Secretary 
shall include all veterans who are enrolled in the Department of 
Veterans Affairs health care system and all veterans who have contacted 
the Department of Veterans Affairs and are awaiting enrollment in the 
Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.
    (2) Data used in determining the number of veterans enrolled or 
awaiting enrollment for purposes of this section shall be as current as 
possible as of the beginning of the fiscal year and shall be no more 
than six months old.
    (b) Mid-Year Review.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a mid-year review of the allocations under subsection (a) for 
any fiscal year for the purpose of making adjustments based upon 
changes in the number of veterans enrolled or awaiting enrollment in 
the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. Such review 
shall be completed in time to make any adjustments in such allocations 
effective for the two most recent quarters of the fiscal year, and the 
Secretary shall make such adjustments to achieve equity of access to 
those veterans as soon as practicable upon completion of such mid-year 
review. Data used for such review shall be as current as possible as of 
the time of the mid-year review and shall be no more than six months 
old.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``VA medical care funds'' means funds 
        appropriated for any fiscal year to the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs for medical care.
            (2) The term ``VERA system'' means the Veterans Equitable 
        Resource Allocation system established pursuant to section 429 
        of Public Law 104-204 (110 Stat. 2929).

SEC. 4. PRIORITIZATION FOR ENROLLMENT AND CARE.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide for priority in the 
enrollment of veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs health 
care system, and in the furnishing of care and services through that 
system, in accordance with the following categories, with priority in 
the order listed:
            (1) Any veteran with an emergent or urgent care need.
            (2) Any veteran described in any of paragraphs (1) through 
        (6) of section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, and any 
        veteran described in paragraph (7) of such section who has a 
        serious health care need that if not treated would place the 
        veteran's life in jeopardy.
            (3) Any veteran not described in paragraph (1) or (2).

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect upon enactment and shall apply with 
respect to funds appropriated for fiscal year 2003 and thereafter.
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