,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chhh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #c1      
#bjbj,mrs4 ,shaheen introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
ensure that veterans receive timely and 
effective health care under the         
,veterans ,community ,care ,program and 
,veterans ,care ,agreements during the  
,,covid-#ai emergency1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,community care for      
veterans during ,,covid-#ai emergency   
7a7 ,veterans ,community ,care ,program 
and ,veterans ,care ,agreements  7#a7   
,eligibility for ,,covid-#ai care       
,during the period of a covered public  
health emergency1 the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs shall furnish        
,,covid-#ai care1 regardless of whether 
such care is for a service-connected    
disability-- 7,a7 under section #agjc of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to   
any veteran described in subsection 7b7 

of such section2 and  7,b7 under section
 #agjc;,a of such title1 to any         
individual described in subsection 7l7  
of such section4  7#b7 ,preauthorization
 for certain services not required  7,a7
 ,in general ,during the period of a    
covered public health emergency1 in     
carrying out section #agjc7;a77#c7 of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
treat medical care and services         
described in subparagraph 7,b7 as being 
authorized by the ,secretary under such 
section1 regardless of whether the      
,secretary is notified of such care by  
any deadline otherwise required by the  
,secretary for purposes of such section4
  7,b7 ,medical care and services       
described ,the medical care and services
 described in this subparagraph are the 
following3 7i7 ,,covid-#ai care4  7ii7  
,emergency medical care and services4   
7b7 ,emergency treatment  7#a7 ,rule    
,during the period of a covered public  
health emergency1 the ,secretary of     

,veterans ,affairs shall administer     
claims for payments relating to         
emergency ,,covid-#ai care as follows3  
7,a7 ,if the community care provider    
that furnished the care is an eligible  
provider under section #agjc of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 the         
,secretary shall administer the claim   
pursuant to that section4  7,b7 ,if the 
community care provider has entered into
 a ,veterans ,care ,agreement under     
section #agjc;,a of such title1 the     
,secretary shall administer the claim   
pursuant to that section4  7,c7 ,if the 
community care provider is not described
 in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b71 the      
,secretary shall administer the claim   
pursuant to section #agbe or #agbh of   
such title1 as the case may be4  7#b7   
,scope of treatment ,during the period  
of a covered public health emergency1   
emergency ,,covid-#ai care furnished to 
veterans shall be deemed to be emergency
 treatment for purposes of sections     
#agbe and #agbh of title #ch1 ,united   

,states ,code1 regardless of whether--  
7,a7 such care meets the requirements of
 subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 of         
subsection 7f77#a7 of such section      
#agbe2 or  7,b7 such care is furnished  
after the veteran can be transferred1 or
 is accepted for a transfer1 to a       
facility of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs or other ,federal facility as 
described in clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 of    
subparagraph 7,c7 of such subsection4   
7#c7 ,enrollment requirements ,during   
the period of a covered public health   
emergency1 in carrying out section #agbe
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1   
the ,secretary shall determine whether a
 veteran who receives emergency         
,,covid-#ai care is an active           
,department health care participant     
under subsection 7b7 of such section    
without regard to whether the veteran   
meets the requirement in paragraph      
7#b77;,b7 of such subsection4  7#d7     
,submission of claims ,during the period
 of a covered public health emergency1  

subsection 7b7 of section #agjc;,d of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall 
apply with respect to community care    
providers furnishing emergency          
,,covid-#ai care to veterans pursuant to
 sections #agbe and #agbh of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code4  7c7 ,primary    
payer  7#a7 ,in general ,during the     
period of a covered public health       
emergency1 notwithstanding section #agbe
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 or
 any other provision of law1 the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
be the primary payer with respect to    
,,covid-#ai care furnished to veterans1 
including with respect to the           
transportation of a veteran by          
ambulance4  7#b7 ,reimbursement ,the    
,secretary may seek reimbursement from  
any third party that would otherwise be 
liable for ,,covid-#ai care furnished to
 a veteran or obligated to provide or to
 pay the expenses of such care1         
including pursuant to a health-plan     
contract4  7d7 ,application ,this       

section shall apply to medical care or  
services furnished during the period of 
a covered public health emergency1      
regardless of whether such care or      
services were furnished before the date 
of the enactment of this ,act4  7e7     
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term community care provider has the   
meaning given the term health care      
entity or provider in section           
#agjc;,d7i7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,the term covered  
public health emergency means the       
declaration-- 7,a7 of a public health   
emergency1 based on an outbreak of      
,,covid-#ai1 by the ,secretary of       
,health and ,human ,services under      
section #cai of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d72 or
  7,b7 of a domestic emergency1 based on
 an outbreak of ,,covid-#ai1 by the     
,president1 the ,secretary of ,homeland 
,security1 or a ,state or local         
authority4  7#c7 ,the term ,,covid-#ai  
care means medical care or services     

furnished to a veteran by a community   
care provider pursuant to chapter #ag of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 or   
any other law administered by the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 for   
the diagnosis or treatment of           
,,covid-#ai4  7#d7 ,the term health-plan
 contract and third party have the      
meanings given those terms in section   
#agbe of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code4