Calendar No. 415
116th CONGRESS 2d Session |
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program through at least fiscal year 2020, and for other purposes.
January 13, 2020
Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
February 5, 2020
Reported by Mr. Moran, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
[Insert the part printed in italic]
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program through at least fiscal year 2020, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Helping Expand and Launch Transitional Health for Women Veterans Act” or “HEALTH Act”.
SEC. 2. Continuation of Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program of Department of Veterans Affairs.
(a) Duration.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (in this section referred to as the “pilot program”) until at least September 30, 2020.
(b) Report.—Not later than September 30, 2020, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the pilot program that includes the following:
(1) The number of women members of the Armed Forces, disaggregated by military department (with respect to the Department of the Navy, disaggregated by the Navy and Marine Corps), who participated in the pilot program.
(2) The number of courses held under the pilot program.
(3) The locations at which such courses were held, the number of seats available for such courses, and the number of participants at each such location.
(4) With respect to the number of members of the Armed Forces who participated in the pilot program as specified under paragraph (1)—
(A) the number who enrolled in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code; and
(B) the number who attended at least one health care appointment at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(A) satisfaction with courses held under the pilot program;
(B) improved awareness of health care services administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
(C) any other available statistics regarding the pilot program.
(6) A discussion of regulatory, legal, or resource barriers to—
(A) making the pilot program permanent to enable access to services provided under the pilot program by a greater number of women members of the Armed Forces at locations throughout the United States;
(B) offering the pilot program online for women members of the Armed Forces who are unable to attend courses held under the pilot program in person; and
(C) the feasability of automatically enrolling pilot program participants in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code.
(c) Appropriate congressional committees defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 3. Authority for Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish medically necessary transportation for newborn children of certain women veterans.
(a) In general.—Section 1786 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(2) in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at the end the following: “, including necessary health care services provided by a facility other than the facility where the newborn child was delivered (including a specialty pediatric hospital) that accepts transfer of the newborn child and responsibility for treatment of the newborn child”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
“(c) Transportation.— (1) Transportation furnished under subsection (a) to, from, or between care settings to meet the needs of a newborn child includes costs for either or both the newborn child and parents.
“(2) Transportation furnished under subsection (a) includes transportation by ambulance, including air ambulance, or other appropriate medically staffed modes of transportation—
“(d) Reimbursement or payment for health care services or transportation.— (1) Pursuant to regulations the Secretary shall prescribe to establish rates of reimbursement and any limitations thereto under this section, the Secretary shall directly reimburse a covered entity for health care services or transportation services provided under this section, unless the cost of the services or transportation is covered by an established agreement or contract. If such an agreement or contract exists, its negotiated payment terms shall apply.
“(2) (A) Reimbursement or payment by the Secretary under this section on behalf of an individual to a covered entity shall, unless rejected and refunded by the covered entity within 30 days of receipt, extinguish any liability on the part of the individual for the health care services or transportation covered by such payment.
“(e) Exception.—Pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe to carry out this section, the Secretary may furnish more than seven days of health care services described in subsection (b), and transportation necessary to receive such services, to a newborn child based on medical necessity if the child is in need of additional care, including a case in which the newborn child has been discharged or released from a hospital and requires readmittance to ensure the health and welfare of the newborn child.”.
(b) Treatment of certain expenses already incurred.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe, with respect to transportation furnished in order for a newborn child of a veteran to receive health care services under section 1786 of title 38, United States Code, during the period specified in paragraph (2), the Secretary may—
Amend the title so as to read: “A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program through at least fiscal year 2020, to authorize the Secretary to furnish medically necessary transportation for newborn children of certain women veterans, and for other purposes.”.
Calendar No. 415 | |||||
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A BILL | |||||
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training
pilot program through at least fiscal year 2020, and for other purposes. | |||||
February 5, 2020 | |||||
Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title |