,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cheh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #ac1        
#bjad,mr4 ,kinzinger of ,illinois       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to direct the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs to enter into contracts with   
health care providers to improve health 
care access and care coordination for   
veterans1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title2 sense of ,congress  7a7   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veteran-,centered ,access to       
,coordinated ,health ,care ,act of      
#bjad4  7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is  
the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7      
veterans who are authorized by the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
receive health care in the community    
must not lose the high quality1 safety1 
care coordination1 and other            
veteran-centric elements that the health

 care system of the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs provides2  7#b7 many 
veterans receive health care from both  
the ,department and community providers 
but the lack of care coordination among 
the ,department and community providers 
when veterans receive purchased care    
places veterans at risk for poor health 
outcomes and results in inefficient use 
of finite health care resources2  7#c7  
veteran-centric care coordination is    
associated with improved patient        
outcomes1 as ,department and            
non-,department health care teams       
coordinate and collaborate to provide   
the best care for veterans2 and  7#d7 if
 the ,secretary purchases care for      
veterans from the private sector1 such  
care must be secured in a cost-effective
 manner1 in a way that complements the  
larger health care system of the        
,department by using industry standards 
for care and costs4  #b4 ,comprehensive 
contract care coordination program for  
veterans  7a7 ,in general  7#a7 ,type of

 care ,subsection 7a7 of section #agjc  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended to read as follows3  7a7 7#a7   
,the ,secretary shall provide an        
eligible veteran with covered health    
services that are provided by a         
non-,department entity whom the         
,secretary enters into a contract with  
under this section if the ,secretary    
determines that facilities of the       
,department are not capable of-- 7,a7   
economically furnishing covered health  
services to such veteran because of     
geographical inaccessibility2 or  7,b7  
furnishing covered health services to   
such veteran because such facilities    
lack-- 7i7 the required personnel who   
are appropriately trained and           
experienced2 or  7ii7 the ability to    
provide timely and reasonable access4   
7#b7 ,except as otherwise provided by   
this chapter or other law1 the          
,secretary shall ensure that health care
 provided to a veteran under this title 
by a non-,department entity1 including  

under the ,patient-,centered ,community 
,care program or any other              
care-coordination program1 is provided  
in accordance with this section4  7#c7  
,the ,secretary shall provide covered   
health services pursuant to this chapter
 at a location that is in accordance    
with the following priority3 7,a7 ,a    
facility of the ,department4  7,b7 ,a   
facility of a department or agency of   
the ,federal ,government1 or of a       
university1 that the ,secretary has     
entered into a sharing agreement with   
respect to providing such health        
services4  7,c7 ,a non-,department      
facility in accordance with this        
section4  7,d7 ,a non-,department       
facility in accordance with a provision 
of law other than this section4  7#d7   
,the ,secretary shall ensure that       
veterans who receive health care under  
this title from a non-,department entity
 are able to efficiently reenter the    
health care system of the ,department1  
including by coordinating care4  7#e7   

,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,the term     
covered health services means1 with     
respect to an eligible veteran1 any     
hospital care1 medical service1         
rehabilitative service1 or preventative 
health service that is authorized to be 
provided by the ,secretary to the       
veteran under this chapter or any other 
provision of law4  7,b7 ,the term       
eligible veteran means a veteran        
enrolled in the health care system      
established under section #agje7;a7 of  
this title who elects to receive care   
under this section4  4  7#b7 ,qualified 
entities2 care coordination ,such       
section is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsections3  7e7 ,the
 ,secretary shall enter into a contract 
with a non-,department entity under this
 section4 ,the ,secretary shall ensure  
that the resources of the ,department   
are not used to duplicate administrative
 functions and information technology   
systems that are provided by the        
non-,department entity under such a     

contract4 ,a non-,department entity     
shall be eligible for such a contract if
 the entity demonstrates experience with
 respect to-- 7#a7 the ability to       
provide non-,department health care     
services to veterans2  7#b7 meeting or  
exceeding internal credentialing        
standards of the ,department and        
standards of the ,utilization ,review   
,accreditation ,commission2  7#c7 having
 care coordinators who help veterans    
make1 confirm1 and keep medical         
appointments2  7#d7 having the ability  
to obtain clinical information from     
non-,department entities and submit such
 information to the ,department2  7#e7  
having-- 7,a7 experience using an       
information technology system that-- 7i7
 has the ability to track and monitor   
veterans that is accessible by employees
 of the ,department using a portal on an
 ,internet website2 and  7ii7 allows    
veterans to file complaints2 and  7,b7  
the ability to respond to potential     
quality indicators and patient safety   

events2 and  7#f7 having the experience 
and ability to-- 7,a7 process claims in 
the provider network2  7,b7 bill a third
 party 7as defined in section           
#agbe7;f77#b7 of this title7 for care   
provided under this section1 as         
appropriate2 and  7,c7 transmit directly
 to the ,secretary any amounts received 
pursuant to subparagraph 7,b74  7f7 ,in 
carrying out this section1 the          
,secretary shall ensure the following3  
7#a7 ,with respect to each medical      
center of the ,department1 the          
,secretary is consistent in determining 
the eligibility of veterans under       
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,the ,secretary   
requires care coordinators of a         
non-,department entity described in     
subsection 7e77#c7 who will coordinate  
care of a veteran by the entity with a  
care coordinator of the ,department4    
7#c7 ,the ,department and a             
non-,department entity under this       
section exchange clinical information to
 improve both clinical decisionmaking   

and the care a veteran receives4  7#d7  
,both non-,department facilities under  
this section and ,department facilities 
meet performance metrics regarding--    
7,a7 the quality of health care         
provided2  7,b7 the satisfaction of     
veterans2  7,c7 clinical information    
return within #cj days of a health care 
visit of a patient2  7,d7 a no-show rate
 at a rate less than the industry       
standard2  7,e7 claims being paid within
 #cj days2  7,f7 timely access to health
 care1 including initial appointments   
occurring less than #cj days after being
 requested2  7,g7 cost effectiveness2   
and  7,h7 sufficient volume and case mix
 to ensure cost-effective vendor prices4
  7g7 7#a7 ,not later than ,october #ca 
of each year1 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 
care provided under this section1       
including-- 7,a7 the cost to the        

,department2  7,b7 the number of        
veterans receiving care under this      
section as compared to the number of    
veterans receiving care from            
non-,department facilities under other  
provisions of law2  7,c7 the quality of 
such care and the satisfaction of such  
veterans2  7,d7 the performance metrics 
under subsection 7f77#d72 and  7,e7     
other matters the ,secretary considers  
appropriate4  7#b7 ,not later than      
,march #a of each odd-numbered year1 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        
allocation of resources with respect to 
care provided by the ,department and by 
non-,department facilities4  4  7#c7    
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this subsection shall take effect #ahj  
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act4  7b7 ,reauthorization of     
,project ,arch ,section #djc of the     

,veterans' ,mental ,health and ,other   
,care ,improvements ,act of #bjjh       
7,public ,law #aaj-chg2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4   
#agjc note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in        
subsection 7a77#c71 by striking ,a      
veteran and inserting ,except as        
provided by subsection 7i71 a veteran2  
and  7#b7 by adding at the end the      
following new subsection3  7i7          
,reauthorization  7#a7 ,recommencement  
,not later than #ij days after the date 
of the enactment of the                 
,veteran-,centered ,collaborative       
,health ,care ,act of #bjad1 the        
,secretary shall again commence the     
conduct of the pilot program under      
subsection 7a77#a74  7#b7 ,program      
locations ,notwithstanding subsection   
7a77#d71 the ,secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program pursuant to paragraph 
7#a7 within each ,veterans ,integrated  
,service ,network4  7#c7 ,appointments  
,in carrying out the pilot program      
pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 the         
,secretary shall ensure that medical    

appointments for veterans occur during  
the #cj-;day period beginning on the    
date that is #ae days after the date on 
which the appointment is requested4     
7#d7 ,outreach ,the ,secretary shall    
ensure that a veteran eligible for the  
pilot program carried out pursuant to   
paragraph 7#a7 is informed of such      
program4  7#e7 ,termination ,the        
authority of the ,secretary to carry out
 the pilot program pursuant to paragraph
 7#a7 shall terminate on the date that  
is three years after the date on which  
the ,secretary commences such program   
under such paragraph4  4