[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5500 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5500

  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct outreach to 
    veterans regarding the effect of delayed payments of claims for 
emergency medical care furnished by non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
  medical providers by the Office of Community Care and to direct the 
Secretary to submit to Congress an annual report regarding such delayed 
                               payments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 12, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct outreach to 
    veterans regarding the effect of delayed payments of claims for 
emergency medical care furnished by non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
  medical providers by the Office of Community Care and to direct the 
Secretary to submit to Congress an annual report regarding such delayed 
                               payments.

    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' Credit Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING EFFECT OF CERTAIN DELAYED 
              PAYMENTS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF 
              COMMUNITY CARE.

    (a) Outreach.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct 
outreach, including through national and local veterans service 
organizations, to inform veterans of how to resolve credit issues 
caused by delayed payment of an eligible claim for emergency hospital 
care, emergency medical services, or other emergency health care 
furnished through a non-Department of Veterans Affairs provider.
    (b) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--During the five-year period following the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs shall annually submit to Congress a report on the 
        effectiveness of the Office of Community Care (or successor 
        office) in providing timely payment of proper invoices for 
        emergency hospital care, emergency medical services, or other 
        emergency health care furnished through non-Department of 
        Veterans Affairs providers by the required payment date.
            (2) Periods covered.--
                    (A) The first report submitted under paragraph (1) 
                shall cover the five-year period preceding the date of 
                the report, to the greatest extent practicable. With 
                respect to covering the part of such period that 
                occurred before October 1, 2014, the report shall 
                evaluate the provision by the Veterans Integrated 
                Service Networks of payments described in such 
                paragraph.
                    (B) The reports following the first report shall 
                each cover the period following the date on which the 
                prior report was submitted.
            (3) Matters included.--The reports under paragraph (1) 
        shall include, for the period covered by the report, the 
        following:
                    (A) The number of veterans who contacted the 
                Secretary regarding a delayed payment that negatively 
                affected, or will potentially negatively affect, the 
                credit of the veteran.
                    (B) The number of proper invoices submitted, listed 
                in a table for each quarter and fiscal year of each 
                such period that includes--
                            (i) the total amount owed by the Secretary 
                        under the proper invoices;
                            (ii) the payment status of each proper 
                        invoice, as of the date of the report; and
                            (iii) the period that elapsed until each 
                        proper invoice was paid, including an 
                        explanation of any delayed payment.
                    (C) Any comments regarding delayed payments made by 
                medical providers.
                    (D) A description of the best practices that the 
                Office of Community Care (or successor office) can 
                carry out to provide timely payment of a proper 
                invoice, including a plan to improve such timely 
                payments.
                    (E) With respect to pending claims for 
                reimbursement for emergency hospital care, emergency 
                medical services, and other emergency health care 
                furnished through non-Department of Veterans Affairs 
                providers--
                            (i) the total number of such pending claims 
                        for each hospital system of the Department, as 
                        of the last day of the period covered by the 
                        report;
                            (ii) the total number of veterans who 
                        submitted such a pending claim in each State, 
                        as of such day;
                            (iii) the aggregate amount of all such 
                        pending claims in each State, as of such day;
                            (iv) as of such day--
                                    (I) the number of such pending 
                                claims that have been pending for 30 
                                days or longer;
                                    (II) the number of such pending 
                                claims that have been pending for 90 
                                days or longer; and
                                    (III) the number of such pending 
                                claims that have been pending for 365 
                                days or longer; and
                            (v) for each hospital system, for the 
                        period covered by the report--
                                    (I) the number of claims for 
                                reimbursement for emergency hospital 
                                care, emergency medical services, and 
                                other emergency health care furnished 
                                through non-Department of Veterans 
                                Affairs providers approved during such 
                                quarter;
                                    (II) the number of such claims 
                                denied during such quarter; and
                                    (III) the number of such claims 
                                denied listed by each denial reason 
                                group.
    (c) Comptroller General Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study that evaluates the effectiveness 
        of the Office of Community Care in providing timely payment of 
        a proper invoice for emergency hospital care, emergency medical 
        services, or other emergency health care furnished through non-
        Department of Veterans Affairs providers by the required 
        payment date.
            (2) Submittal.--The Comptroller General shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1), 
        including the total amount of interest penalties paid by the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 3902 of title 31, 
        United States Code, by reason of a delayed payment.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``delayed payment'' means a proper invoice 
        that is not paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs until 
        after the required payment date.
            (2) The term ``proper invoice'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 3901(a) of title 31, United States Code.
            (3) The term ``required payment date'' means, with respect 
        to proper invoices for emergency hospital care, emergency 
        medical services, or other emergency health care, the date that 
        payment is due pursuant to standards determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
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