[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 124 (Monday, July 24, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H6171-H6172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VA PROVIDER EQUITY ACT
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1058) to amend title 38, United States Code, to
clarify the role of podiatrists in the Department of Veterans Affairs,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1058
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 ``VA Provider Equity Act''.
SEC. 2. ROLE OF PODIATRISTS IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) Inclusion as Physician.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 7413. Treatment of podiatrists; clinical oversight
standards
``(a) Podiatrists.--Except as provided by subsection (b), a
doctor of podiatric medicine who is appointed as a podiatrist
under section 7401(1) of this title is eligible for any
supervisory position in the Veterans Health Administration to
the same degree that a physician appointed under such section
is eligible for the position.
``(b) Establishment of Clinical Oversight Standards.--The
Secretary, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders,
shall establish standards to ensure that specialists
appointed in the Veterans Health Administration to
supervisory positions do not provide direct clinical
oversight for purposes of peer review or practice evaluation
for providers of other clinical specialties.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 7412 the following new item:
``7413. Treatment of podiatrists; clinical oversight standards.''.
(b) Modification and Clarification of Pay Grade.--
(1) Grade.--The list in section 7404(b) of such title is
amended--
(A) by striking ``PHYSICIAN AND DENTIST SCHEDULE'' and
inserting ``PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON (MD/DO), PODIATRIC SURGEON
(DPM), AND DENTIST AND ORAL SURGEON (DDS, DMD) SCHEDULE'';
(B) by striking, ``Physician grade'' and inserting
``Physician and surgeon grade''; and
(C) by striking ``PODIATRIST, CHIROPRACTOR, AND,'' and
inserting ``CHIROPRACTOR AND''.
(2) Application.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall
apply with respect to a pay period of the Department of
Veterans Affairs beginning on or after the date that is 30
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF PENSION FURNISHED
BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR CERTAIN
VETERANS COVERED BY MEDICAID PLANS FOR SERVICES
FURNISHED BY NURSING FACILITIES.
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``September 30, 2024'' and inserting
``September 30, 2026''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1058, as amended, the VA
Provider Equity Act. This legislation would recognize the professional
contribution of hardworking podiatrists within the Department of
Veterans Affairs healthcare system.
The VA standard for compensating podiatrists has not been updated in
41 years. In that time, education and training for podiatrists has been
revolutionized.
As a result of the VA's failure to recognize and respond to
advancements in podiatry practice, it has created significant
disparities in pay and advancement opportunities for podiatrists
practicing at the VA in comparison to their peers in the private
sector.
Consequently, the VA struggles to recruit and retain experienced,
qualified podiatrists--those we want caring for our veterans--at a time
when veteran need for podiatry care is increasing.
This legislation would solve that problem by allowing VA podiatrists
the opportunity to seek leadership opportunities at VA medical
facilities and making podiatry pay equal to physician and dentist pay
within the VA healthcare system.
I am grateful to my good friend, fellow veteran, and committee
member, Dr. Brad Wenstrup, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health,
for his leadership in recognizing what an important issue this is and
being thoughtful and tenacious in pursuit of a solution to it.
I am proud to join Dr. Wenstrup in fully supporting this legislation
and urge all of my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1058, as amended. The VA Provider Equity
Act is a commonsense solution to a really important problem that is
plaguing the VHA--a shortage of healthcare providers.
This legislation would allow VHA to attract the talented and
experienced podiatrists it needs to better treat conditions caused by
lower extremity injuries.
By allowing podiatrists the opportunity to advance within the VHA
while earning pay comparable to what private sector podiatrists earn,
VHA can better attract and retain these providers.
I appreciate the gentleman from Ohio, Dr. Wenstrup's, work
highlighting this, educating all of us on the committee, and making
sure that the treatments of podiatrists between VHA and the private
sector industry is aligned.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this good piece of
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup). Colonel Wenstrup is a member of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee.
Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1058, the VA
Provider Equity Act, as amended, which would strengthen access to the
comprehensive first-class healthcare that veterans deserve.
Podiatric care is one of the top needs at VA medical centers across
the country. Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan report high
rate of musculoskeletal ailments resulting from lower extremity
injuries inflicted by improvised explosive devices.
Veterans of previous wars also experience higher instances of foot
and ankle ailments caused by aging, diabetes, and service-connected
disabilities. All of this leads to increased demand for podiatric care
at the VHA.
However, VA struggles to recruit and retain podiatrists due to a
disparity in pay and leadership opportunities in comparison to both
podiatrists in the private sector and to other physicians employed by
the VA.
This is because VA first established standards for podiatrists in
1976, and podiatric education, training, and practice have changed
considerably since that time. Nonetheless, VA's outdated standards have
remained unchanged. This has translated into increased wait times. As
of 2015, 93 percent of new podiatry patients wait more than 15 days for
an appointment, and podiatry is the fourth most referred-out surgical
service to community care.
My bill, H.R. 1058, the VA Provider Equity Act, would make VA's
doctors of podiatric medicine equal to doctors of osteopathy and
medical doctors within VA in terms of pay and ensure that VA
podiatrists are eligible for the same promotions and leadership
opportunities as other VA physicians, which is consistent with the
private sector.
This bill will make it easier for VA to recruit and retain the
specialists our veterans so desperately need. In turn, this will result
in better care for veterans and savings to the taxpayer, as a recent
study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that
podiatry services provided to diabetic patients could have saved
between $29 million and $97 million in 2014, in the State of California
alone.
[[Page H6172]]
Mr. Speaker, as the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and the rest of
our colleagues in Congress continue to work together to help our
veterans receive the care they need, I urge the passage of this bill.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, again, this is a smart piece of legislation. I
thank the gentleman from Ohio for his work on this.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1058, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all
Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 1058, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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