[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60470-60471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27376]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Publication of the Date on Which All Amounts Deposited in the 
Veterans Choice Fund Will Be Exhausted

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, 
Public Law 113-146, as amended, directs the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) to publish in the Federal Register the date on which the 
Secretary will have exhausted all amounts deposited in the Veterans 
Choice Fund. This Federal Register Notice is VA's publication of this 
date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Duran, Director, Policy and 
Planning (10D1A1), Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, (303) 
372-4629. This is not a toll free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Veterans Access, Choice, and 
Accountability Act of 2014, Public Law 113-146, as amended, (the Act), 
section 802, established the Veterans Choice Fund to be used by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the Veterans Choice Program 
established by section 101 of the Act. Pursuant to sections 101(p)(1) 
and (2) of the Act, the Secretary may not furnish care and services 
under the Veterans Choice Program after the date on which the Secretary 
has exhausted all amounts deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund. 
Section 101(p)(3) of the Act directs, not later than 30 days prior, VA 
to publish this date in the Federal Register and on an internet website 
of the Department available to the public. Based on current data, VA 
believes it will have exhausted the amount that was deposited in the 
Veterans Choice Fund no earlier than January 2, 2018; however, due to 
the unique nature of health care and the variability in health care 
costs, the amounts in the Fund could last as long as January 16, 2018. 
This information can be found on the internet at http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/index.asp. VA will update the website if it determines based 
on the most current

[[Page 60471]]

information that the amounts in the Fund will be exhausted later than 
anticipated.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina S. 
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on December 14, 2017, for publication.

    Dated: December 14, 2017.
Michael Shores,
Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2017-27376 Filed 12-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P