To extend and expand eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish consistent criteria and standards relating to the use of amounts under the Medical Community Care account of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SA 4039. Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. Burr)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3896
proposed by Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Reed, and Mr.
Tester) to the bill H.R. 2577, making appropriations for the
Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for
other purposes; as follows:

At the end of title II of division B, add the following:

extension and expansion of veterans choice program

Sec. 251.  (a) Extension.--The Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C.
1701 note) is amended--
(1) in section 101(p)(2), by striking ``3 years'' and
inserting ``6 years''; and
(2) in section 802(d)(1), by striking ``$10,000,000,000''
and inserting ``$17,500,000,000''.
(b) Expansion of Eligibility.--Subsection (b)(2) of section
101 of such Act is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``; or'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking the period
at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(E) has received health services under the pilot program
under section 403 of the Veterans' Mental Health and Other
Care Improvements Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-387; 38 U.S.C.
1703 note) and resides in a location described in section
(b)(2) of such section.''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Subsection (g)(3) of such
section is amended by striking ``or (D)'' and inserting
``(D), or (E)''.
(2) Subsection (q)(2)(A) of such section is amended--
(A) in clause (iii), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(v) eligible veterans described in subsection
(b)(2)(E).''.
(d) Emergency Requirement.--The amounts made available
under the amendments made by subsection (a) are designated by
the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)).
(e) Quarterly Report.--Not less frequently than quarterly
until all amounts deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund under
section 802 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C.
1701 note) are exhausted, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives an update on the expenditures made from such
Fund to carry out section 101 of such Act during the quarter
covered by the report.

establishment of criteria for provision of services under medical
community care account

Sec. 252. In using amounts made available in this title for
the Medical Community Care account of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish consistent criteria and standards--
(1) for purposes of determining eligibility of non-
Department health care providers to provide health care under
the laws administered by the Secretary, including standards
relating to education, certification, licensure, training,
and employment history; and
(2) for the reimbursement of such health care providers for
care or services provided under the laws administered by the
Secretary, which to the extent practicable shall--
(A) use rates for reimbursement that are not more than the
rates paid by the United States to a provider of services (as
defined in section 1861(u) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(u))) under the Medicare program

[[Page S2994]]

under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395
et seq.) for the same care or services;
(B) incorporate the use of value-based reimbursement models
to promote the provision of high-quality care to improve
health outcomes and the experience of care for veterans; and
(C) be consistent with prompt payment standards required of
Federal agencies under chapter 39 of title 31, United States
Code.
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