To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs the option of receiving covered health services through facilities other than those of the Department.

November 9, 2005

Mr. LATHAM (for himself, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. MCCAUL of Texas, Mr. GOODE, and Mr. FORTUN.AE6O) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs the option of receiving covered health services through facilities other than those of the Department.

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' Access to Local Health Care Options and Resources Act'.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR PAYMENTS TO FACILITIES OTHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR COVERED HEALTH SERVICES.

(a) Requirement to Authorize Receipt of Covered Health Services at Non-Department Facilities Pursuant to Contracts With Such Facilities- Subsection (a) of section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

`(a) An enrolled veteran may elect to receive covered health services through a non-Department facility. Such an election shall be made by submission to the Secretary of an application in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary prescribes. The Secretary shall authorize such services to be furnished to such veteran pursuant to contracting with such a facility to furnish such services to such a veteran, as authorized in section 1710 of this title.'.

(b) Descriptions of Covered Health Services and Enrolled Veterans- Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(e) For purposes of subsection (a)--

`(1) a covered health service is any hospital care, medical service, rehabilitative service, or preventative health service for which the veteran described in such subsection is eligible under this title; and

`(2) an enrolled veteran is a veteran who is enrolled in the system of patient enrollment established under section 1705(a) of this title.'.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement the amendments made by section 2 in order for enrolled veterans described in section 1703(e)(2) of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 2(b), to receive covered health services in accordance with section 1703(a) of such title, as amended by section 2(a), starting on January 1, 2007.

END