,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #dae #aafth         
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4 #cahb    
,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united 
,,states  ,january #ac1 #bjbj,mr4       
,sullivan 7for himself and ,mr4         
,blumenthal7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,february #e1 #bjbj,reported by ,mr4  
,moran1 with an amendment and an        
amendment to the title,insert the part  
printed in italic  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to
 carry out the ,women's ,health         
,transition ,training pilot program     
through at least fiscal year #bjbj1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,helping 
,expand and ,launch ,transitional       
,health for ,women ,veterans ,act or    
,,health ,act4  #b4 ,continuation of    
,women's ,health ,transition ,training  
pilot program of ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,duration ,the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  

carry out the ,women's ,health          
,transition ,training pilot program of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
7in this section referred to as the     
pilot program7 until at least ,september
 #cj1 #bjbj4  7b7 ,report ,not later    
than ,september #cj1 #bjbj1 the         
,secretary of ,defense and the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
jointly submit to the appropriate       
congressional committees a report on the
 pilot program that includes the        
following3  7#a7 ,the number of women   
members of the ,armed ,forces1          
disaggregated by military department    
7with respect to the ,department of the 
,navy1 disaggregated by the ,navy and   
,marine ,corps71 who participated in the
 pilot program4  7#b7 ,the number of    
courses held under the pilot program4   
7#c7 ,the locations at which such       
courses were held1 the number of seats  
available for such courses1 and the     
number of participants at each such     
location4  7#d7 ,with respect to the    

number of members of the ,armed ,forces 
who participated in the pilot program as
 specified under paragraph 7#a7--  7,a7 
the number who enrolled in the health   
care system of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs under section        
#agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code2 and  7,b7 the number who attended
 at least one health care appointment at
 a medical facility of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#e7 ,data      
relating to-- 7,a7 satisfaction with    
courses held under the pilot program2   
7,b7 improved awareness of health care  
services administered by the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs2 and  7,c7 any    
other available statistics regarding the
 pilot program4  7#f7 ,a discussion of  
regulatory1 legal1 or resource barriers 
to-- 7,a7 making the pilot program      
permanent to enable access to services  
provided under the pilot program by a   
greater number of women members of the  
,armed ,forces at locations throughout  
the ,united ,states2  7,b7 offering the 

pilot program online for women members  
of the ,armed ,forces who are unable to 
attend courses held under the pilot     
program in person2 and  7,c7 the        
feasability of automatically enrolling  
pilot program participants in the health
 care system of the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs under section        
#agje7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code4  7c7 ,appropriate congressional  
committees defined ,in this section1 the
 term appropriate congressional         
committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee  
on ,armed ,services and the ,committee  
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate2  
and  7#b7 the ,committee on ,armed      
,services and the ,committee on         
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives4  #c4 ,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 expenses 
already incurred  7#a7 ,in general      
,pursuant to such regulations as the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
prescribe1 with respect to              
transportation furnished in order for a 
newborn child of a veteran to receive   
health care services under section #aghf
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
during the period specified in paragraph
 7#b71 the ,secretary may--  7,a7 waive 
a debt owed by the veteran to the       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs or    
reimburse expenses already paid by the  
veteran to the ,department for such     
transportation2 or  7,b7 reimburse the  
veteran for costs billed by a covered   
entity for such transportation          
regardless of whether the veteran has   
already made such payment4  7#b7 ,period
 specified ,the period specified in this

 paragraph is the period beginning on   
,may #e1 #bjaj1 and ending on the date  
of the enactment of this ,act4  7#c7    
,covered entity defined ,in this        
subsection1 the term covered entity has 
the meaning given that term in section  
#aghf7;d77#c7 of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as amended by subsection 
7a74  ,amend the title so as to read3 ,a
 bill to direct the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs to carry out the     
,women's ,health ,transition ,training  
pilot program through at least fiscal   
year #bjbj1 to authorize the ,secretary 
to furnish medically necessary          
transportation for newborn children of  
certain women veterans1 and for other   
purposes44 ,february #e1 #bjbj,reported 
with an amendment and an amendment to   
the title