Official Summaries

Foreign Medical Program Modernization Act of 2025

This bill expands eligibility for care under the Foreign Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by removing certain eligibility requirements. The program authorizes the VA to furnish care and services to veterans abroad (i.e., outside any state) for the treatment of service-connected disabilities or as part of a Veteran Readiness and Employment rehabilitation program. The bill expands eligibility for care by removing the requirement that a veteran have a service-connected disability or be participating in a rehabilitation program.

The bill also requires the VA to update its payment system to allow for reimbursements through electronic fund transfer.

Under the bill, the VA must assess the feasibility and implications of contracting with an appropriate non-VA entity to build a network of non-VA entities to provide hospital care and medical services abroad under the Foreign Medical Program.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 467 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 467

To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement of 
 a service-connected disability to furnish veterans with medical care 
              outside of a State, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 15, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement of 
 a service-connected disability to furnish veterans with medical care 
              outside of a State, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Foreign Medical Program 
Modernization Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF FOREIGN MEDICAL PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Elimination of Service-Connected Disability Requirement.--
Section 1724 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a);
            (2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as 
        subsections (a) through (d), respectively;
            (3) in subsection (a), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``if the 
                Secretary determines that such care and services are 
                needed for the treatment of a service-connected 
                disability of the veteran or as part of a 
                rehabilitation program under chapter 31 of this 
                title''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``a service-
                connected disability of''; and
            (4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``who has a service-connected disability''.
    (b) Electronic Fund Transfer Reimbursement.--The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall update the payment system of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to allow for reimbursements through electronic fund 
transfer for hospital care or medical services furnished pursuant to 
section 1724 of title 38, United States Code.
    (c) Assessment of Contract for Provision of Care.--The Secretary 
shall assess the feasibility and implications of entering into a 
contract with an appropriate non-Department entity to build a network 
of non-Department entities to provide hospital care and medical 
services pursuant to section 1724 of title 38, United States Code, 
including implications for the administrative burden on veterans 
eligible to receive such care and services.
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