,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abfa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #be1      
#bjag,mr4 ,cassidy introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to require the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs to pay the reasonable costs of 
urgent care provided to certain         
veterans1 to establish cost-sharing     
amounts for veterans receiving care at  
an emergency room of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans ,emergency
 ,room ,relief ,act of #bjag4  #b4      
,coverage of urgent care and emergency  
room treatment of veterans by the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,payment of reasonable costs of urgent  
care  7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,,iii
 of chapter #ag of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  

after section #agbe the following new   
section3  #agbe;,a4 ,payment of         
reasonable costs of urgent care  7a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary shall enter    
into contracts with urgent care         
providers under which the ,secretary    
pays the urgent care provider the       
reasonable costs of urgent care provided
 to eligible veterans by the urgent care
 provider4  7b7 ,eligible veterans ,a   
veteran is an eligible veteran for      
purposes of this section if the         
veteran-- 7#a7 is enrolled in the system
 of annual patient enrollment           
established and operated under section  
#agje7;a7 of this title2 and  7#b7 has  
received health care under this chapter 
during the two-year period preceding the
 date on which the veteran receives     
urgent care under this section4  7c7    
,cost sharing  7#a7 ,except as provided 
in paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall 
establish a cost-sharing amount that    
eligible veterans shall pay to the      
,secretary to receive urgent care from  

an urgent care provider under this      
section4  7#b7 ,the cost-sharing amount 
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
not apply to an eligible veteran-- 7,a7 
if the eligible veteran is admitted to a
 hospital for treatment or observation  
after receiving urgent care under this  
section2 or  7,b7 if the eligible       
veteran is receiving urgent care under  
this section for the treatment of a     
service-connected disability or         
condition4  7d7 ,treatment of           
,department ,notwithstanding the        
coverage of an eligible veteran under a 
health-plan contract1 the ,secretary    
shall be considered the primary payer   
for any urgent care provided to the     
eligible veteran under this section4    
7e7 ,types of providers ,the ,secretary 
shall ensure that all types of urgent   
care providers1 including local urgent  
care providers1 have an opportunity to  
enter into a contract with the          
,secretary under this section4  7f7     
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the

 term health-plan contract has the      
meaning given that term in section      
#agbe7;f7 of this title4  7#b7 ,the term
 urgent care has the meaning given that 
term by the ,secretary4  7#c7 ,the term 
urgent care provider means a health care
 provider that provides urgent care at a
 non-,department facility4  4  7#b7     
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of chapter #ag
 of such title is amended by inserting  
after the item relating to section #agbe
 the following new item3  #agbe;,a4     
,payment of reasonable costs of urgent  
care4  4  7#c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it  
is the sense of ,congress that the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs is     
encouraged to contract with urgent care 
centers that are accredited by a        
nationally recognized accrediting body  
or organization to carry out section    
#agbe;,a of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code1 as added by paragraph 7#a74  7b7 
,establishment of cost-,sharing amount  
for veterans receiving emergency room   

care from ,department  7#a7 ,in general 
,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    
shall establish a cost-sharing amount   
that veterans shall pay to the          
,secretary to receive care at an        
emergency room of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,exception    
,the cost-sharing amount established    
under paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply to 
a veteran if the veteran--  7,a7        
receives care for a service-connected   
7as defined in section #aja of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code7 disability  
or condition2  7,b7 meets a hardship    
exception established by the ,secretary 
for purposes of this subsection2 or     
7,c7 is admitted to a hospital for      
treatment or observation after receiving
 care at an emergency room of the       
,department4  7c7 ,limitation on        
cost-,sharing amounts ,the ,secretary of
 ,veterans ,affairs may not require a   
veteran to pay multiple cost-sharing    
amounts if the veteran seeks urgent care

 under section #agbe;,a of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code1 as added by      
subsection 7a77#a71 and care at an      
emergency room of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs for the same         
condition during a period determined by 
the ,secretary for purposes of this     
subsection4  7d7 ,report on use by      
veterans of urgent and emergency room   
care ,not later than two years after the
 date of the enactment of this ,act1 and
 not less frequently than once every two
 years thereafter1 the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs 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 use by 
veterans eligible for health care under 
the laws administered by the ,secretary 
of--  7#a7 urgent care facilities2 and  
7#b7 emergency room facilities of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4