1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Better Examiner Standards and Transparency for Veterans Act of 2019” or the “BEST for Vets Act of 2019”.
Better Examiner Standards and Transparency for Veterans Act of 2019
A BILL
To ensure that only licensed health care providers furnish disability examinations under a certain Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes.
2. Ensuring only licensed health care providers furnish medical disability examinations under certain Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program for use contract physicians for disability examinations
Prohibition on use of certain health care providers— Section 504(a) of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended—
by striking “The Secretary of Veterans Affairs” and inserting the following:
“(1) In general—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs”
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(2) Prohibition—No examination described in paragraph (1) may be carried out under this section by any health care provider other than one described in subsection (c)(2).”
Remedies— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as the Secretary considers appropriate to ensure that only health care providers described in subsection (c)(2) of section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) are conducting examinations pursuant to contracts entered into under such section.
Annual report— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on—
the conduct of the pilot program established under section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note); and
the actions of the Secretary under subsection (b).
Technical corrections— Section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended—
in the section heading, by striking “physicians” and inserting “health care providers”; and
in subsection (c)—
in the subsection heading, by striking “physicians” and inserting “health care providers”;
in paragraph (2), in the paragraph heading, by striking “Physician” and inserting “Health care provider”;
in paragraph (1), by striking “physicians” and inserting “health care providers”; and
by striking “physician” each place it appears and inserting “health care provider”.