To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the rate of pay for care or services provided under the Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location at which such care or services were provided, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 874 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 874

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the rate of pay for
   care or services provided under the Community Care Program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location at which such care
           or services were provided, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2025

Mr. McCormick introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the rate of pay for
   care or services provided under the Community Care Program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location at which such care
           or services were provided, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RATES OF PAY FOR A PROVIDER OF CARE OR SERVICES FURNISHED TO
              A VETERAN UNDER THE COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM OF THE
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Rates.--Section 1703(i) of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``Except as provided in paragraph
                (2), and to the extent practicable'' and inserting
                ``(A) To the extent practicable''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new
                subparagraphs:
    ``(B) The Secretary shall establish rates for payments under
subparagraph (A) that are specific with respect to the following
locations at which the care or services were provided (regardless of
the location of the headquarters of the provider):
            ``(i) An inpatient hospital.
            ``(ii) An on-campus hospital outpatient department.
            ``(iii) An off-campus hospital outpatient department.
            ``(iv) An ambulatory surgical center.
            ``(v) The office of a physician.
    ``(C) The Secretary shall ensure that a claim for payment under
this paragraph includes a unique, geographically specific national
provider identifier code that identifies the location of the provider
as described in subparagraph (B).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(7) If the Secretary may pay more than one rate under this
paragraph for care or services, the Secretary shall pay the lowest such
rate.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on January 1, 2026.
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