,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cah  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #d1       
#bjai,mrs4 ,murray introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
authorize the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs to furnish medically necessary 
transportation for newborn children of  
certain women veterans4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,va ,newborn ,emergency ,treatment     
,act4  #b4 ,authority for ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to furnish medically 
necessary transportation for newborn    
children of certain women veterans  7a7 
,in general ,section #aghf of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--    
7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in the    
matter before paragraph 7#a7--  7i7 by  
inserting and transportation necessary  
to receive such services after described
 in subsection 7b72 and  7ii7 by        
inserting 1 except as provided in       

subsection 7e71 after seven days2  7,b7 
in paragraph 7#a71 by striking or2  7,c7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking the     
period at the end and inserting 2 or2   
and  7,d7 by adding at the end the      
following new paragraph3  7#c7 another  
location1 including a health care       
facility1 if the veteran delivers the   
child before arriving at a facility     
described in paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b74  2 
7#b7 in subsection 7b71 by inserting    
before the period at the end the        
following3 1 including necessary health 
care services provided by a facility    
other than the facility where the       
newborn child was delivered 7including a
 specialty pediatric hospital7 that     
accepts transfer of the newborn child   
and responsibility for treatment of the 
newborn child2 and  7#c7 by adding at   
the end the following new subsections3  
7c7 ,transportation  7#a7               
,transportation furnished under         
subsection 7a7 to1 from1 or between care
 settings to meet the needs of a newborn

 child includes costs for either or both
 the newborn child and parents4  7#b7   
,transportation furnished under         
subsection 7a7 includes transportation  
by ambulance1 including air ambulance1  
or other appropriate medically staffed  
modes of transportation--  7,a7 to      
another health care facility 7including 
a specialty pediatric hospital7 that    
accepts transfer of the newborn child or
 otherwise provides post-delivery care  
services when the treating facility is  
not capable of furnishing the care or   
services required2 or  7,b7 to a health 
care facility in a medical emergency of 
such nature that a prudent layperson    
reasonably expects that delay in seeking
 immediate medical attention would be   
hazardous to life or health4  7#c7      
,amounts paid by the ,department for    
transportation under this section shall 
be derived from the ,medical ,services  
appropriations account of the           
,department4  7d7 ,reimbursement or     
payment for health care services or     

transportation  7#a7 ,pursuant to       
regulations the ,secretary shall        
prescribe to establish rates of         
reimbursement and any limitations       
thereto under this section1 the         
,secretary shall directly reimburse a   
covered entity for health care services 
or transportation services provided     
under this section1 unless the cost of  
the services or transportation is       
covered by an established agreement or  
contract4 ,if such an agreement or      
contract exists1 its negotiated payment 
terms shall apply4  7#b7 7,a7           
,reimbursement or payment by the        
,secretary under this section on behalf 
of an individual to a covered entity    
shall1 unless rejected and refunded by  
the covered entity within #cj days of   
receipt1 extinguish any liability on the
 part of the individual for the health  
care services or transportation covered 
by such payment4  7,b7 ,neither the     
absence of a contract or agreement      
between the ,secretary and a covered    

entity nor any provision of a contract1 
agreement1 or assignment to the contrary
 shall operate to modify1 limit1 or     
negate the requirements of subparagraph 
7,a74  7#c7 ,in this subsection1 the    
term covered entity means any           
individual1 transportation carrier1     
organization1 or other entity that      
furnished or paid for health care       
services or transportation under this   
section4  7e7 ,exception ,pursuant to   
such regulations as the ,secretary shall
 prescribe to carry out this section1   
the ,secretary may furnish more than    
seven days of health care services      
described in subsection 7b71 and        
transportation necessary to receive such
 services1 to a newborn child based on  
medical necessity if the child is in    
need of additional care1 including a    
case in which the newborn child has been
 discharged or released from a hospital 
and requires readmittance to ensure the 
health and welfare of the newborn child4
  4  7b7 ,treatment of certain debts    

already incurred ,pursuant to such      
regulations as the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs shall prescribe1 the 
,secretary may waive a debt for or      
reimburse a veteran billed for the cost 
of transportation that was furnished in 
order for a newborn child to receive    
health care services under section #aghf
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
before the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4