S.Amdt. 1674

SA 1674. Mr. WARNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle B of title VII, add the following:

SEC. 721. PILOT PROGRAM ON SHARING OF PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE
AMONG DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly conduct a pilot program to
assess the feasibility and advisability of allowing medical
facilities of the Department of Defense and medical
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs that are
located within 40 miles of each other to share primary care
physicians for the purpose of performing routine medical
care.

[[Page S3802]]

(b) Administrative Actions Necessary.--In carrying out the
pilot program, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall jointly determine the administrative
action required to be taken by each Secretary--
(1) to ensure the sharing of scheduling records and medical
records between the Department of Defense and the Department
of Veterans Affairs;
(2) to minimize the impact of the pilot program on wait
times and patient load at each medical facility participating
in the pilot program; and
(3) to maintain a high quality of care at each such medical
facility.
(c) Location of Care.--To the maximum extent possible,
health care provided to a patient under the pilot program
shall be provided at the location in which the patient would
have been provided health care if the pilot program was not
being carried out.
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