Veterans Health Access Act

Veterans Health Access Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, when it is determined that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities are not capable of furnishing economic hospital care or medical services because of geographical inaccessibility or the care or services required, to determine whether or not to furnish such care or services to a veteran in a non-VA facility. Requires such determination to be made within 30 days following the request for such care or services.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2412 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2412

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to consider the best interest of the veteran when 
   determining whether the veteran should receive certain contracted 
                              health care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2013

    Mr. Barber (for himself and Mr. Heck of Nevada) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to consider the best interest of the veteran when 
   determining whether the veteran should receive certain contracted 
                              health care.

    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 Health Access Act''.

SEC. 2. DETERMINATION OF CONTRACT CARE AUTHORITY FOR HEALTH CARE NEEDS 
              OF VETERANS.

    Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``When Department 
        facilities'' and everything that follows through ``required,'' 
        and inserting ``In any case described in subsection (e)(1),''; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Eligibility.--(1) A case described in this paragraph is any 
case--
            ``(A) when Department facilities are not capable of 
        furnishing--
                    ``(i) economical hospital care or medical services 
                because of geographical inaccessibility; or
                    ``(ii) the care or services required; or
            ``(B) in which a physician of the Department determines 
        that it is in the best interest of a veteran to receive 
        hospital or medical services furnished in a non-Department 
        facility in accordance with subsection (a).
    ``(2) The Secretary shall determine whether or not to furnish to a 
veteran care or services in a non-Department facility pursuant to this 
section by the date that is 30 days after the date on which the veteran 
requests such care or services.''.
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