1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Veterans Health Access Act”.
Veterans Health Access Act
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.
2. Determination of contract care authority for health care needs of veterans
Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
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
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.”