,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #agdi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bh1 #bjag,mr4
 ,bilirakis introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to establish a pilot 
program for the provision of dental care
 to certain veterans1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans ,early    
,treatment for ,chronic ,ailment        
,resurgence through ,examinations ,act  
of #bjag or the ,,vet ,,care ,act of    
#bjag4  #b4 ,pilot program for the      
provision of dental care to certain     
veterans  7a7 ,pilot program ,the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out a pilot program to provide    
outpatient dental services and          
treatment1 and related dental           
appliances1 to eligible veterans        
enrolled under subsection 7c77#c71 at no
 cost to such veterans4 ,under the pilot

 program1 the ,secretary shall determine
 whether there is a correlation between 
veterans receiving such services and    
treatment1 and the veterans suffering   
fewer complications of chronic ailments1
 thereby yielding a lower cost of care4 
7b7 ,eligible veterans defined ,for     
purposes of this section1 the term      
eligible veterans means veterans who    
are-- 7#a7 enrolled in the system of    
annual patient enrollment under section 
#agje of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code2  7#b7 not eligible for dental    
care under section #agab of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code2  7#c7 between #dj
 and #gj years of age2 and  7#d7        
diagnosed with type #b diabetes4  7c7   
,application2 evaluation2               
disqualification2 enrollment2           
categorization  7#a7 ,application       
,eligible veterans may elect to apply   
for the pilot program4  7#b7            
,evaluation2 disqualification ,eligible 
veterans who apply for the pilot program
 shall receive an initial periodontal   

evaluation1 including vertical bitewing 
radiographs4 ,any eligible veteran      
diagnosed with periodontal disease that 
requires surgery shall be disqualified  
from the pilot program4  7#c7           
,enrollment2 categorization ,the        
,secretary shall enroll at least #a1ejj 
eligible veterans who apply for the     
pilot program1 giving preference to     
veterans with service-connected         
disabilities that increases in          
accordance with the veterans' disability
 ratings under chapter #aa of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 in a manner that
 ensures the following3  7,a7 ,one-third
 of eligible veterans enrolled in the   
pilot program shall have been diagnosed 
with no or mild periodontitis under     
paragraph 7#b74  7,b7 ,two-thirds of    
eligible veterans enrolled in the pilot 
program shall have been diagnosed with  
moderate to severe periodontitis under  
paragraph 7#b74  7d7 ,duration of       
program ,the ,secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program during the four-year  

period beginning on the date that is    
#ahj days after the effective date of   
this section4  7e7 ,locations ,the pilot
 program shall be carried out in five   
facilities of the ,veterans ,health     
,administration1 with one such facility 
in each of five ,veterans ,integrated   
,services ,networks that the ,secretary 
considers appropriate for the pilot     
program4  7f7 ,patient distribution     
,each facility shall serve not more than
 one-fourth and not fewer than one-sixth
 of the veterans enrolled in the pilot  
program1 in approximately even          
proportions of veterans categorized     
under subsection 7c77#c74  7g7 ,course  
of program  7#a7 ,periodontal therapy   
,the ,secretary shall make timely and   
appropriate periodontal therapy         
available to veterans described in      
subsection 7c77#c77;,b74  7#b7 ,election
 of treatment ,such veterans who elect  
to receive treatment shall be classified
 as treated4  7#c7 ,annual evaluations  
,each treated veteran shall receive an  

annual dental evaluation1 during which  
the periodontal health of the treated   
veteran shall be reassessed and recorded
 exactly as at the initial evaluation   
under subsection 7c77#b74  7#d7 ,health 
outcome reporting ,for the duration of  
the pilot program1 the ,secretary shall 
collect and record data regarding the   
health of treated veterans1 including   
events1 treatments1 and outcomes1 and   
make such data available for analysis by
 qualified researchers4  7h7 ,education 
7#a7 ,health care providers ,the        
,secretary shall provide standardized   
instructions to all physicians and      
dentists who work in facilities         
described in subsection 7e7 to ensure   
consistent evaluation and care for      
veterans enrolled in the pilot program  
in all such facilities4  7#b7 ,enrolled 
veterans ,the ,secretary shall provide  
each veteran enrolled in the pilot      
program with an orientation1 information
 before any care is provided under the  
pilot program1 and an exit interview    

that includes information regarding how 
such veteran may obtain dental services 
and treatment after the end of the pilot
 program4  7i7 ,educational outreach    
,the ,secretary shall notify those      
institutions of higher education 7as    
that term is defined in section #ajb of 
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb77 that offer       
degrees in periodontology of the pilot  
program so that such institutions may   
engage in similar studies regarding     
private periodontal care for veterans4  
7j7 ,report ,not later than #ah months  
after the conclusion of the pilot       
program1 the ,secretary shall submit a  
report of findings to the ,congress4    
7k7 ,regulations ,the ,secretary shall  
administer the pilot program under such 
regulations as the ,secretary shall     
prescribe1 including best practices     
regarding informed consent and study    
registration4