[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1254 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1254

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program under which eligible veterans may elect to receive hospital 
    care and medical services at non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
                  facilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 28, 2017

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program under which eligible veterans may elect to receive hospital 
    care and medical services at non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
                  facilities, 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 Health ID Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FEE-BASIS 
              HEALTH CARE.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Beginning not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out a two-year pilot program under which--
            (1) eligible veterans may elect to receive hospital care 
        and medical services at non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
        facilities; and
            (2) the Secretary shall reimburse such facilities for the 
        cost of such care and services.
    (b) Eligible Veteran.--For purposes of the pilot program under this 
section, an eligible veteran is a veteran who--
            (1) is enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of title 38, 
        United States Code; and
            (2) resides in a geographic area selected by the Secretary 
        under subsection (c).
    (c) Selection of Geographic Areas.--The Secretary shall select one 
geographic area within each Veterans Integrated Service Network for 
participation in the pilot program. For Veterans Integrated Service 
Network 4, the Secretary shall select NJ-2 as the geographic area for 
participation in the pilot program.
    (d) Identification Card.--Under the pilot program, the Secretary 
shall issue to each eligible veteran who elects to receive hospital 
care and medical services at non-Department facilities a unique 
identification card. The Secretary shall take such steps as may be 
necessary to ensure that such veterans receive such care and services 
at such non-Department facilities upon presentation of the 
identification card.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the conclusion of the 
pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report on the pilot program. Such report shall 
include the Secretary's analysis of the success of the pilot program 
and any recommendations for extending or expanding the pilot program.
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