,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ga  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of    
,,representatives  ,january #c1         
#bjbe,mr4 ,biggs of ,arizona 7for       
himself1 ,mr4 ,crane1 ,mr4 ,webster of  
,florida1 ,ms4 ,salazar1 ,mr4 ,gosar1   
,mrs4 ,luna1 and ,mr4 ,brecheen7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 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 the 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 ,payment1     
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 the 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 program under    
paragraph 7#a74 ,in making such         
selection1 the ,secretary shall ensure  
that the pilot program is carried out in
 varied geographic areas that include   
both rural and urban locations4  7b7    
,removal of certain requirements ,to    
access care ,in carrying out the pilot  
program under subsection 7a71 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 the       
requirements specified in subsection    
7a77#a77;,c7 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    

,the primary care provider 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#b7 ,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#a77;,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#e71 the      
,secretary shall2 and  7ii7 by adding at
 the end the following new paragraph3   
7#e7 ,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   
requirements under subparagraph 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  7ii7 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,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 ,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      
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate a report on the implementation  
of the pilot program4 ,one such report  

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          
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate a report on the results of the  
pilot program4  7j7 ,regulations ,the   
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate1 may prescribe regulations to   
carry out this section4  7k7 ,no        
additional appropriations ,no additional
 funds are authorized to be appropriated
 to carry out this section1 and this    
section shall be carried out using      
amounts otherwise made available to the 
,veterans ,health ,administration4  7l7 
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,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 ,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 ,the term          
non-,department facility has the meaning
 given that term in section #agja of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4