,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfjc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #h   
7legislative day1 ,february #c71        
#bjbb,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself and  
,mr4 ,tuberville7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to carry out a pilot program to
 improve the ability of veterans to     
access medical care in medical          
facilities of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs and in the community 
by providing veterans the ability to    
choose health care providers4  #a4      
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,health ,care ,freedom    
,act4  #b4 ,pilot program on ability of 
veterans to choose health care providers
  7a7 ,pilot program  7#a7 ,requirement 
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1  
acting through the ,center for          
,innovation for ,care and ,payment of   

the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
shall carry out a pilot program to      
improve the ability of eligible veterans
 to access hospital care1 medical       
services1 and extended care services    
through the covered care system by      
providing eligible veterans the ability 
to choose health care providers4  7#b7  
,locations ,the ,secretary shall select 
a minimum of four ,veterans ,integrated 
,service ,networks in which to carry out
 the pilot program4  7b7 ,removal of    
certain requirements ,to access care ,in
 carrying out the pilot program1 the    
,secretary shall furnish hospital care1 
medical services1 and extended care     
services to eligible veterans through   
the covered care system as follows3 7#a7
 ,at medical facilities of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1      
regardless of whether the facility is in
 the same ,veterans ,integrated ,service
 ,network as the ,network in which the  
veteran resides4  7#b7 ,at              
non-,department facilities pursuant to1 

as appropriate-- 7,a7 section #agjc of  
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1       
without regard to the requirements      
specified in subsection 7d7 of such     
section2 or  7,b7 section #agjc;,a of   
such title1 without regard to whether   
the care or service is not feasibly     
available to the eligible veteran from a
 facility of the ,department or through 
a contract or sharing agreement entered 
into pursuant to a provision of law     
other than such section as required     
under subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,c7 of    
subsection 7a77#a7 of such section4  7c7
 ,election of veteran ,in accordance    
with subsections 7d7 and 7e71 an        
eligible veteran participating in the   
pilot program may elect to receive      
hospital care1 medical services1 and    
extended care services at any provider  
in the covered care system4  7d7        
,coordination of care  7#a7 ,selection  
,each eligible veteran participating in 
the pilot program shall select a primary
 care provider in the covered care      

system4  7#b7 ,coordination ,the primary
 care provider of an eligible veteran   
selected under paragraph 7#a7 shall--   
7,a7 coordinate with the ,secretary and 
other health care providers the hospital
 care1 medical services1 and extended   
care services furnished to the veteran  
under the pilot program2 and  7,b7 refer
 the veteran to specialty care providers
 in the covered care system1 as         
clinically necessary4  7#c7 ,systems    
,the ,secretary shall establish systems 
as the ,secretary determines appropriate
 to ensure that a primary care provider 
can effectively coordinate the hospital 
care1 medical services1 and extended    
care services furnished to a veteran    
under the pilot program4  7e7 ,specialty
 care  7#a7 ,access ,subject to         
subsection 7d77#b77;,b71 an eligible    
veteran participating in the pilot      
program may select any specialty care   
provider in the covered care system from
 which to receive specialty care4  7#b7 
,designation ,the ,secretary may        

designate a specialty care provider as a
 primary care provider of an eligible   
veteran participating in the pilot      
program if the ,secretary determines    
that such designation is in the health  
interests of the veteran 7such as an    
endocrinologist with respect to a       
veteran diagnosed with diabetes1 a      
neurologist with respect to a veteran   
diagnosed with ,parkinson's disease1 or 
an obstetrician-gynecologist with       
respect to a female veteran74  7f7      
,mental health care ,an eligible veteran
 participating in the pilot program may 
select a mental health care provider in 
the covered care system from which to   
receive mental health care4  7g7        
,information ,in carrying out the pilot 
program1 the ,secretary shall furnish to
 eligible veterans the information on   
eligibility1 cost sharing1 treatments1  
and providers required for veterans to  
make informed decisions with respect    
to-- 7#a7 selecting primary care        
providers and specialty care providers2 

and  7#b7 treatments available to the   
veteran4  7h7 ,duration  7#a7 ,phase in 
,the ,secretary shall carry out the     
pilot program during the three-year     
period beginning on the date that is one
 year after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act4  7#b7 ,permanent requirement
  7,a7 ,veterans ,community ,care       
,program ,section #agjc7;d7 of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
 7i7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,the
 ,secretary shall and inserting ,except 
as provided by paragraph 7#d71 the      
,secretary shall2 and  7ii7 by adding at
 the end the following new paragraph3   
7#d7 ,beginning on the date that is four
 years after the date of the enactment  
of the ,veterans ,health ,care ,freedom 
,act-- 7,a7 the requirements under      
paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 and 7#c7 shall   
not apply with respect to furnishing    
hospital care1 medical services1 and    
extended care services to a covered     
veteran under this section2 and  7,b7   
the ,secretary shall furnish hospital   

care1 medical services1 and extended    
care services to a covered veteran under
 this section with the same conditions  
on the ability of the veteran to choose 
health care providers as specified in   
the pilot program described in section  
#b of such ,act4  4  7,b7 ,veterans     
,care ,agreements ,section              
#agjc;,a7a77#a7 of such title is        
amended-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by  
striking ,for purposes and inserting    
,except as provided by subparagraph     
7,e71 for purposes2 and  7ii7 by adding 
at the end the following new            
subparagraph3  7,e7 ,beginning on the   
date that is four years after the date  
of the enactment of the ,veterans       
,health ,care ,freedom ,act-- 7i7 the   
requirement under subparagraph 7,a7 and 
7,c7 that care or services may only be  
furnished under this section to covered 
individuals when such care or services  
are not feasibly available to the       
covered individual from a facility of   
the ,department or through a contract or

 sharing agreement entered into pursuant
 to a provision of law other than this  
section shall not apply with respect to 
furnishing hospital care1 medical       
services1 and extended care services to 
a covered individual under this section2
 and  7ii7 the ,secretary shall furnish 
hospital care1 medical services1 and    
extended care services to a covered     
individual under this section with the  
same conditions on the ability of the   
individual to choose health care        
providers as specified in the pilot     
program described in section #b of such 
,act4  4  7,c7 ,v,i,s,ns ,beginning on  
the date that is four years after the   
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall furnish hospital care1 
medical services1 and extended care     
services to veterans under chapter #ag  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 at 
medical facilities of the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs1 regardless of      
whether the facility is in the same     
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network 

as the ,network in which the veteran    
resides4  7i7 ,reports  7#a7            
,implementation  7,a7 ,in general ,on a 
quarterly basis during the two-year     
period beginning on the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives a report
 on the implementation of the pilot     
program4  7,b7 ,final design ,one of the
 reports required under subparagraph    
7,a7 shall contain a description of the 
final design of the pilot program4  7#b7
 ,annual ,on an annual basis during the 
period beginning on the date that is one
 year after the date of the submission  
of the final report under paragraph 7#a7
 and ending on the date of the          
conclusion of the pilot program1 the    
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    

,representatives a report on the results
 of the pilot program4  7j7 ,regulations
 ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,senate and the ,committee on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives1 may prescribe         
regulations to carry out this section4  
7k7 ,no additional appropriations ,no   
additional funds are authorized to be   
appropriated to carry out this section  
and the amendments made by this section1
 and this section and the amendments    
made by this section shall be carried   
out using amounts otherwise made        
available to the ,veterans ,health      
,administration4  7l7 ,definitions ,in  
this section3 7#a7 ,covered care system 
,the term covered care system means     
each-- 7,a7 medical facility of the     
,department2  7,b7 health care provider 
specified in subsection #agjc7;c7 of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 and   
7,c7 eligible entity or provider that   
has entered into a ,veterans ,care      

,agreement under section #agjc;,a of    
such title4  7#b7 ,eligible veteran ,the
 term eligible veteran means a veteran  
who is enrolled in the patient          
enrollment system of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs under section #agje  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7#c7 ,hospital care2 medical services2  
non-,department facilities ,the terms   
hospital care1 medical services1 and    
non-,department facilities have the     
meanings given those terms in section   
#agja of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code4