,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bfbh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #i1 #bjai,mr4   
,bilirakis 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,ferguson1
 ,mr4 ,van ,drew1 ,mr4 ,mast1 ,mr4      
,hastings1 and ,miss ,gonzlez-,coln of  
,puerto ,rico7 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     
provide administrative support to       
providers of dental care who provide    
such care to veterans that is not       
furnished under such title1 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 #bjai or the ,,vet
 ,,care ,act of #bjai4  #b4             

,administrative support for community   
providers of dental care ,section #agab 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended--  7#a7 by redesignating        
subsections 7d7 and 7e7 as subsections  
7e7 and 7f71 respectively2 and  7#b7 by 
inserting after subsection 7c7 the      
following new subsection 7d73  7d7  7#a7
 ,the ,secretary may furnish1 to a      
provider of dental care described in    
paragraph 7#b71 administrative support  
7including information for the provider 
to share with veterans regarding the    
dental insurance plan under section     
#agab;,c of this title7 related to      
dental care described in paragraph 7#b74
  7#b7 ,dental care described in this   
paragraph is-- 7,a7 provided to a       
veteran2  7,b7 not furnished under a law
 administered by the ,secretary2 and  4 
#c4 ,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      
veteran defined ,for purposes of this   
section1 the term eligible veteran means
 a veteran who-- 7#a7 is enrolled in the
 system of annual patient enrollment    
under section #agje of title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code2  7#b7 is not     
eligible for dental care under section  
#agab of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code2  7#c7 the ,secretary determines  
does not receive regular periodontal    
care2  7#d7 is between #dj and #gj years
 of age2 and  7#e7 has been diagnosed   
with type #b diabetes4  7c7             
,application2 evaluation2               

disqualification2 enrollment2           
categorization  7#a7 ,application ,an   
eligible veteran may elect to apply for 
the pilot program4  7#b7 ,evaluation2   
disqualification ,an eligible veteran   
who applies 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