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H.R. 112 (117th): Care Veterans Deserve Act of 2021

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The text of the bill below is as of Jan 4, 2021 (Introduced). The bill was not enacted into law.

I

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 112

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 4, 2021

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To make certain improvements in the provision of medical care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Care Veterans Deserve Act of 2021.

2.

Eligibility of certain veterans with service-connected disabilities to receive non-Department of Veterans Affairs medical care under Veterans Community Care Program

(a)

In general

Paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 101 of the Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (D), by striking or at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (E), by striking the period and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(F)

the covered veteran has a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or higher and elects to receive care or services through a non-Department provider.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply as if originally enacted in the Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182).

3.

Extension of operating hours for pharmacies and medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(a)

Extension of operating hours for pharmacies

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall extend the operating hours for each pharmacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs during which the pharmacy offers services comparable to retail pharmacies to include—

(1)

operation on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays; and

(2)

operation until 8:00 p.m. on weekdays that are not Federal holidays.

(b)

Contracts with providers during nights and weekends

The Secretary shall enter into contracts, including through locum tenens arrangements, with physicians and nurses that meet qualifications set forth by the Secretary for purposes of this section under which such physicians and nurses work at medical facilities of the Department during nights and weekends.

(c)

Support staff

The Secretary may obtain additional support staff as necessary to carry out this section, including by hiring employees or contracting for services.

4.

Conduct of best-practices peer review of each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may provide for the conduct by a nongovernmental hospital organization of a best-practices peer review of each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs to evaluate the efficacy of health care delivered at each such medical center.

(b)

Priority

The Secretary shall give priority for peer review conducted under subsection (a) to the medical centers of the Department with the longest wait times for an appointment or the worst health outcomes, as determined by the Secretary.