,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eaca  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ag1 #bjad ,ms4
 ,gabbard 7for herself and ,mr4         
,kinzinger of ,illinois7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to reimburse         
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
medical providers for the provision of  
certain hospital care and medical       
services to veterans1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,access to ,care and
 ,treatment ,now for ,veterans ,act or  
the ,,act ,now for ,veterans ,act4  #b4 
,reimbursement of non-,department of    
,veterans ,affairs medical providers for
 the provision of certain hospital care 
and medical services to veterans  7a7   
,reimbursement required ,the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs shall reimburse   
any non-,department medical provider1   
including such a provider who has not   

been pre-approved by the ,secretary1 who
 furnishes covered hospital care or     
medical services to an eligible veteran4
  7b7 ,definitions ,for purposes of this
 section3  7#a7 ,the term eligible      
veteran means a veteran who--  7,a7 is  
enrolled in the patient enrollment      
system under section #agje of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 and provides a  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
identification card or proof of such    
enrollment2  7,b7 is eligible to receive
 hospital care or medical services      
furnished by the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs2 and  7,c7 attempts or has    
attempted to schedule an appointment at 
a ,department of ,veterans ,affairs     
facility to receive such care or        
services but has been unable to schedule
 such appointment within #cj days of the
 date preferred by the veteran4  7#b7   
,the term covered hospital care or      
medical services means1 with respect to 
an eligible veteran1 hospital care or   
medical services 7as such terms are     

defined in section #agja of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code7 for which the    
veteran is eligible under chapter #ag of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7c7 
,termination ,the authority under this  
section shall terminate on--  7#a7 in   
the case that1 before the date that is  
one year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary submits to
 ,congress certification that the       
,veterans ,health ,administration is    
meeting wait-time goals established by  
the ,secretary1 the date that is one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act2 or  7#b7 in the case that the
 ,secretary does not submit such        
certification before such date1 the date
 that is two years after the date of the
 enactment of this ,act4  7d7           
,implementation ,the ,secretary shall   
begin implementing this section on the  
date of the enactment of this ,act4