,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #aihe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #c1  
#bjad,mr4 ,moran introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
reauthorize and modify the pilot program
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs under which the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs provides health      
services to veterans through qualifying 
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
health care providers1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans ,health   
,care ,access ,received ,closer to ,home
 ,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,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  #c4                
,reauthorization and modification of    
pilot program of enhanced contract care 

authority for health care needs of      
veterans ,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 7a7--  
7,a7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking #abj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act and inserting #ij days after 
the date of the enactment of the        
,veterans ,health ,care ,access         
,received ,closer to ,home ,act of      
#bjad2 and  7,b7 by amending paragraph  
7#d7 to read as follows3  7#d7 ,program 
locations ,the ,secretary shall carry   
out the pilot program at locations in   
the following ,veterans ,integrated     
,service ,networks 7and such other      
locations as the ,secretary considers   
appropriate73 7,a7 ,veterans ,integrated
 ,service ,network #a4  7,b7 ,veterans  
,integrated ,service ,network #f4  7,c7 
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network 
#ae4  7,d7 ,veterans ,integrated        
,service ,network #ai4  2  7#b7 by      

amending subsection 7b7 to read as      
follows3  7b7 ,covered veterans ,for    
purposes of the pilot program under this
 section1 a covered veteran is any      
veteran who is eligible for health care 
under the laws administered by the      
,secretary4  2  7#c7 by redesignating   
subsection 7h7 as subsection 7j72  7#d7 
by inserting after subsection 7g7 the   
following new subsections3  7h7         
,appointments ,in carrying out the pilot
 program under this section1 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  7i7
 ,outreach ,the ,secretary shall ensure 
that a veteran eligible for the pilot   
program under this section is informed  
of such program4  2 and  7#e7 in        
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7j71 as    
redesignated by paragraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 in
 subparagraph 7,a71 by striking the     
semicolon at the end and inserting 2    

and2  7,b7 by striking subparagraph     
7,b72 and  7,c7 by redesignating        
subparagraph 7,c7 as subparagraph 7,b74