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This bill would make it easier for some veterans to get reimbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment they receive. Right now, veterans can face extra eligibility rules before VA will pay back emergency care costs. The bill creates a new exception for veterans who receive emergency treatment within 60 days after enrolling in the VA health care system, so they would not have to meet the usual prior-care requirement. In simple terms, it helps newly enrolled veterans who need emergency care soon after signing up.
- The change applies only to emergency treatment received within 60 days after a veteran enrolls in the VA health care system.
- For those cases, the normal rule requiring earlier VA care would not apply.
- The new rule would start one year after the bill becomes law.
Official Summaries
Removing Extraneous Loopholes Insuring Every Veteran Emergency Act or the RELIEVE Act
This bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimbursement of emergency treatment for veterans who are treated in a non-VA facility. Specifically, the bill waives the requirement that a veteran must have received VA care within the 24-month period preceding the furnishing of emergency treatment if the veteran receives such emergency treatment within the 60-day period following their enrollment in the VA health care system.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 748 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 748
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements
relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for
emergency treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 28, 2025
Mr. Bergman (for himself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements
relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for
emergency treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care
program, 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 ``Removing Extraneous Loopholes
Insuring Every Veteran Emergency Act'' or the ``RELIEVE Act''.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR EMERGENCY
TREATMENT FURNISHED TO VETERANS.
(a) Eligibility Requirements.--Section 1725(b)(2)(B) of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, unless such emergency
treatment was furnished during the 60-day period following the date on
which the veteran enrolled in the health care system specified in
subparagraph (A), in which case no requirement for prior receipt of
care shall apply'' before the period.
(b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to emergency treatment furnished on or after the
date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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