,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ahjb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ad1 #bjai,mr4
 ,smucker 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,emmer1 and
 ,mr4 ,peterson7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to authorize the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
waive the requirement of certain        
veterans to make copayments for hospital
 care and medical services in the case  
of an error by the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,billing       
,accountability ,act4  #b4 ,authority of
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to    
waive requirement of certain veterans to
 make copayments for care and services  
in the case of ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs error  7a7 ,hospital care1     
nursing home care1 and medical services 
,section #agaj7;f77#c7 of title #ch1    

,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,g7 ,the ,secretary may 
waive the requirement of a veteran to   
make a payment under this subsection or 
subsection 7g7 if--  7i7 an error       
committed by the ,department or an      
employee of the ,department was the     
cause of delaying notification sent to  
the veteran of the requirement to make  
the payment2 and  7ii7 the veteran      
received such notification later than   
#ahj days after the date on which the   
veteran received the care or services   
for which the payment was required4  4  
7b7 ,medications ,section #agbb;,a of   
such title is amended-- 7#a7 by         
redesignating subsection 7c7 as         
subsection 7d72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after subsection 7b7 the following new  
subsection 7c73  7c7 ,the ,secretary may
 waive the requirement of a veteran to  
make a payment under this section if--  
7#a7 an error committed by the          
,department or an employee of the       

,department was the cause of delaying   
notification sent to the veteran of the 
requirement to make the payment2 and    
7#b7 the veteran received such          
notification later than #ahj days after 
the date on which the veteran received  
the medication for which the payment was
 required4  4  7c7 ,billing procedures  
7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,i of      
chapter #ag of such title is amended by 
adding at the end the following new     
section3  #agji;,c4 ,procedures for     
copayments  7a7 ,care at ,department    
facility  7#a7 ,in requiring a veteran  
to make a payment for care or services  
provided at a medical facility of the   
,department pursuant to this chapter1   
including sections #agaj and #agbb;,a1  
the ,secretary shall provide to such    
veteran a notification of such required 
payment by not later than #ahj days     
after the date on which the veteran     
receives the care or services for which 
payment is required4  7#b7 ,if the      
,secretary does not provide to a veteran

 a notification of the required payment 
by the date required under paragraph    
7#a71 the ,secretary may not collect    
such payment1 including through a       
third-party entity1 unless the          
,secretary provides the veteran the     
following3  7,a7 ,information regarding 
how to apply for a waiver described in  
section #agaj7;f77#c77;,g7 or section   
#agbb;,a7c7 of this title1 as           
appropriate4  7,b7 ,information         
regarding how to establish a payment    
plan with the ,secretary4  7,c7         
,opportunity to make such a waiver or   
establish such a payment plan4  7b7     
,care at non-,department facility  7#a7 
,in requiring a veteran to make a       
payment for care or services provided at
 a non-,department facility pursuant to 
this chapter or other provision of law1 
the ,secretary shall provide to such    
veteran a notification of such required 
payment by not later than #ah months    
after the date on which the veteran     
receives the care or services for which 

payment is required4  7#b7 ,if the      
,secretary does not provide to a veteran
 a notification of the required payment 
by the date required under paragraph    
7#a71 the ,secretary may not collect    
such payment1 including through a       
third-party entity1 unless the          
,secretary provides the veteran the     
following3  7,a7 ,information regarding 
how to apply for a waiver described in  
paragraph 7#c74  7,b7 ,information      
regarding how to establish a payment    
plan with the ,secretary4  7,c7         
,opportunity to make such a waiver or   
establish such a payment plan4  7#c7    
,the ,secretary may waive the           
requirement of a veteran to make a      
payment for care or services provided at
 a non-,department facility pursuant to 
this chapter or other provision of law  
if--  7,a7 an error committed by the    
,department1 an employee of the         
,department1 or a non-,department       
facility was the cause of delaying the  
notification sent to the veteran of the 

requirement to make the payment2 and    
7,b7 the veteran received such          
notification after the period described 
in paragraph 7#a74  4  7#b7 ,clerical   
amendment ,the table of sections at the 
beginning of such chapter is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to    
section #agji;,b the following new item3
  #agji;,c4 ,procedures for copayments4 
4  7d7 ,improvement of procedures ,not  
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall--
  7#a7 review the copayment billing     
internal controls and notification      
procedures of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs2 and  7#b7 improve   
such controls and procedures1 including 
pursuant to the amendments made by this 
,act4