[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 18, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2993-S2994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4039. Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. Burr) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3896 
proposed by Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Reed, and Mr. 
Tester) to the bill H.R. 2577, making appropriations for the 
Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for 
other purposes; as follows:

       At the end of title II of division B, add the following:


           extension and expansion of veterans choice program

       Sec. 251.  (a) Extension.--The Veterans Access, Choice, and 
     Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 
     1701 note) is amended--
       (1) in section 101(p)(2), by striking ``3 years'' and 
     inserting ``6 years''; and
       (2) in section 802(d)(1), by striking ``$10,000,000,000'' 
     and inserting ``$17,500,000,000''.
       (b) Expansion of Eligibility.--Subsection (b)(2) of section 
     101 of such Act is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``; or'' and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking the period 
     at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(E) has received health services under the pilot program 
     under section 403 of the Veterans' Mental Health and Other 
     Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-387; 38 U.S.C. 
     1703 note) and resides in a location described in section 
     (b)(2) of such section.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Subsection (g)(3) of such 
     section is amended by striking ``or (D)'' and inserting 
     ``(D), or (E)''.
       (2) Subsection (q)(2)(A) of such section is amended--
       (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
       ``(v) eligible veterans described in subsection 
     (b)(2)(E).''.
       (d) Emergency Requirement.--The amounts made available 
     under the amendments made by subsection (a) are designated by 
     the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
     Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)).
       (e) Quarterly Report.--Not less frequently than quarterly 
     until all amounts deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund under 
     section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
     Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 
     1701 note) are exhausted, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and 
     the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives an update on the expenditures made from such 
     Fund to carry out section 101 of such Act during the quarter 
     covered by the report.


   establishment of criteria for provision of services under medical 
                         community care account

       Sec. 252. In using amounts made available in this title for 
     the Medical Community Care account of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     establish consistent criteria and standards--
       (1) for purposes of determining eligibility of non-
     Department health care providers to provide health care under 
     the laws administered by the Secretary, including standards 
     relating to education, certification, licensure, training, 
     and employment history; and
       (2) for the reimbursement of such health care providers for 
     care or services provided under the laws administered by the 
     Secretary, which to the extent practicable shall--
       (A) use rates for reimbursement that are not more than the 
     rates paid by the United States to a provider of services (as 
     defined in section 1861(u) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1395x(u))) under the Medicare program

[[Page S2994]]

     under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 
     et seq.) for the same care or services;
       (B) incorporate the use of value-based reimbursement models 
     to promote the provision of high-quality care to improve 
     health outcomes and the experience of care for veterans; and
       (C) be consistent with prompt payment standards required of 
     Federal agencies under chapter 39 of title 31, United States 
     Code.
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