[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4154 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4154
To direct the Under Secretary of Health of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to contact certain veterans to encourage such veterans to
receive medical examinations furnished or paid for by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 2019
Mrs. Lee of Nevada (for herself and Mr. Watkins) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Under Secretary of Health of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to contact certain veterans to encourage such veterans to
receive medical examinations furnished or paid for by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
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 ``Leave no Veteran Behind Act''.
SEC. 2. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS.
(a) Notice.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Under Secretary of Health of the Department of
Veterans Affairs shall seek to contact each covered veteran by mail,
telephone, or email to encourage each covered veteran to receive
medical examinations including the following:
(1) A comprehensive physical examination.
(2) A comprehensive mental health examination.
(3) A comprehensive eye examination if the covered veteran
has not received such an examination in the year immediately
preceding the date of such examination.
(4) A comprehensive audiological examination if the covered
veteran has not received such an examination in the year
immediately preceding the date of such examination.
(b) Examinations.--
(1) VA health care facilities.--If a covered veteran elects
to receive more than one examination described in subsection
(a) at a health care facility of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, the Under Secretary of Health shall seek to furnish
all such scheduled examinations on the same day.
(2) Community care.--Pursuant to subsection (d) or (e) of
section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, a covered veteran
may receive an examination described in subsection (a) from a
health care provider described in subsection (c) of that
section.
(c) Transportation.--
(1) Beneficiary travel program.--Pursuant to section 111 of
title 38, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may pay for a rural covered veteran to travel to a health care
facility to receive an examination described in subsection (a).
(2) Shuttle service.--The Under Secretary of Health shall
seek to enter into agreements with non-profit organizations to
provide shuttle service to rural covered veterans for
examinations described in subsection (a).
(d) Report Required.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to Congress a report regarding how many covered veterans
scheduled examinations described in subsection (a) after receiving a
letter, telephone call, or email under that subsection.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran who--
(A) is enrolled in the system of annual patient
enrollment under section 1705 of title 38, United
States Code; and
(B) has not received health care furnished or paid
for by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the two
years immediately preceding the date in subsection
(a)(1).
(2) The term ``rural covered veteran'' means a covered
veteran--
(A) who lives in an area served by the Office of
Rural Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(B) whom the Under Secretary of Health determines
requires assistance to travel to a health care facility
to receive an examination described in subsection (a).
(3) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given that term in
section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
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