,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bdgc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #bh1 
#bjah ,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 furnish organ transplant    
care to veterans at non-,department of  
,veterans ,affairs facilities1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,veterans      
,increased ,choice for ,transplanted    
,organs and ,recovery ,act of #bjah or  
the ,,victor ,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,organ 
transplant care for veterans at         
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
facilities  7a7 ,organ transplant care  
7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,i of      
chapter #ag of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #agjc the following new   
section3  #agjc;,a4 ,organ transplant   

care at non-,department facilities  7a7 
,in general ,the ,secretary shall       
furnish organ transplant care to        
eligible veterans1 at the election of   
the eligible veteran1 at non-,department
 facilities that are in compliance with 
regulations prescribed by the ,centers  
for ,medicare  ,medicaid ,services with 
respect to transplant centers4  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 received care under this      
chapter within the #bd-month period     
preceding the furnishing of organ       
transplant care under this section4  7c7
 ,provider agreements  7#a7 ,the        
,secretary shall enter into provider    
agreements with non-,department         
facilities to carry out this section in 
each ,veterans ,integrated ,service     
,network region of the ,department4     

7#b7 ,under provider agreements entered 
into under paragraph 7#a71 the          
,secretary shall pay non-,department    
facilities for care furnished under this
 section an amount equal to the amount  
that would otherwise be paid for such   
care under title ,,xviii of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et  
seq474  7#c7 ,a provider agreement      
entered into under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
include payment of procurement fees1 as 
well as payment for the cost of         
providing the organ transplant care4    
7d7 ,payment for travel and lodging     
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 the ,secretary shall not pay for   
travel and lodging costs for a veteran  
seeking organ transplant care under this
 section outside the region of the      
,organ ,procurement and ,transplantation
 ,network 7as established under section 
#cgb of the ,national ,organ            
,transplantation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bgd77 in which the veteran resides     
unless the ,secretary authorizes such   

care outside such region4  7e7 ,organ   
transplant care defined ,in this        
section1 the term organ transplant      
includes bone marrow transplants4  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 #agjc
 the following new item3  #agjc;,a4     
,organ transplant care at               
non-,department facilities4  4  7b7     
,initial provider agreements ,the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall--
 7#a7 not later than #cj days after the 
date of the enactment of this ,act1 seek
 to enter into provider agreements under
 section #agjc;,a7c7 of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 as added by      
subsection 7a72 and  7#b7 not later than
 ,january #a1 #bjai1 finalize such      
provider agreements4  7c7 ,reports  7#a7
 ,initial report ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall submit to ,congress a    

report on--  7,a7 the status of provider
 agreements entered into under section  
#agjc;,a7c7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a72 and  7,b7 the number of            
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
facilities with which the ,secretary has
 entered into a provider agreement under
 such section within each ,veterans     
,integrated ,service ,network region of 
the ,department4  7#b7 ,report on usage 
of facilities ,not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to    
,congress a report on1 for the one-year 
period preceding the report--  7,a7 the 
number of veterans that have sought     
organ transplant care at transplant     
facilities under section #agjc;,a of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a72 and  7,b7 the  
number of veterans that have sought     
organ transplant care at a facility of  
the ,department4