I
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4915
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 19, 2007
Ms. Pryce of Ohio (for herself, Mr. Hobson, and Mr. Tiberi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access to hospital care for veterans in urban areas, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Veterans’ Access to Local Options for
Recovery Act of 2007
or the VALOR Act
.
Provision of in-patient care to urban veterans
Section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a),
by striking When Department facilities
and inserting
Subject to subsection (e), when Department facilities
;
and
by adding at the end the following:
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may seek to enter into a contract with a non-Department facility located in an eligible metropolitan statistical area to provide hospital care and medical services to veterans. Under such contract, the non-Department facility shall provide hospital care and medical services for which the veteran seeking such services is eligible under section 1710 of this title.
The Secretary shall ensure that the contract under paragraph (1) provides for payment by the Secretary to the non-Department facility. Such payment shall be—
for hospital care and medical services provided to a veteran by the non-Department facility, including payment for—
emergency care;
non-emergency hospital care services; and
inpatient medical services; and
shall be limited to payment for hospital care and medical services for which the veteran is eligible under section 1710 of this title.
For the purposes of this subsection—
the term inpatient medical services means medical services provided to an inpatient of a hospital; and
the term eligible metropolitan statistical area means a metropolitan statistical area (as defined by the Director of the Office of Budget and Management) with—
a total civilian population of at least 1,000,000;
a total veteran population of at least 90,000; and
no Department facility capable of providing hospital care services or inpatient medical services.
.