,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hcfd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bc1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,steube introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to automate          
third-party health insurance billings   
and collections of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,,va     
,fiscal ,responsibility ,act4  #b4      
,third-party billings and collections   
procedures of ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds 
the following3 7#a7 ,a large number of  
third-party health billings by the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs go    
uncollected each year4  7#b7 ,procedures
 to provide for correct billing and     
prompt collection must improve at the   
,department4  7#c7 ,congress has urged  
the ,department to improve its systems  
for the collection of third-party       

payments that are owed to the           
,department for non-service-connected   
care for veterans4  7#d7 ,it is         
important for the ,department to        
increase collections of payments that   
are rightfully owed to the ,united      
,states4  7#e7 ,a comprehensive solution
 to the fee care issue is necessary to  
realize full collection potential4  7b7 
,use of automated technology  7#a7      
,requirement ,the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs shall automate the   
collection of outstanding1 overdue1 and 
not fully paid third-party health       
insurance claims1 regardless of the     
amount owed under any single claim4     
7#b7 ,contract authority ,the ,secretary
 shall seek to enter into a contract    
using competitive procedures to provide 
the capability described in paragraph   
7#a74 ,the ,secretary shall award such a
 contract from among contractors that   
the ,secretary determines have proven   
expertise and documented success in the 
private sector through the use of       

automated small-balance recovery and    
appeal processes4  7#c7 ,third-party    
health insurance claims ,in this        
section1 the term third-party health    
insurance claims means claims made by   
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to 
recover amounts from third parties      
pursuant to sections #agbe and #agbi of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 and   
other similar provisions of law4