S 1774 — Honoring OCEANIA Act

(a) In General.— (1) There is established a program to furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to covered veterans through health care providers specified in subsection (c). (2) The Secretary shall coordinate the furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and extended care services under this section to covered veterans, including coordination of, at a minimum, the following: (A) Ensuring the scheduling of medical appointments in a timely manner and the establishment of a mechanism to receive medical records from non-Department providers. (B) Ensuring continuity of care and services. (C) Ensuring coordination among regional networks if the covered veteran accesses care and services in a different network than the regional network in which the covered veteran resides. (D) Ensuring that covered veterans do not experience a lapse in care resulting from errors or delays by the Department or its contractors or an unusual or excessive burden in accessing hospital care, medical services, or extended care services. (3) A covered veteran may only receive care or services under this section upon the authorization of such care or services by the Secretary. (4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to suspend the program established under paragraph (1). (b) Covered Veterans.— For purposes of this section, a covered veteran is any veteran who— (1) is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment established and operated under section 1705 of this title; or (2) is not enrolled in such system but is otherwise entitled to hospital care, medical services, or extended care services under subsection (c)(2) of such section. (c) Health Care Providers Specified.— Health care providers specified in this subsection are the following: (1) Any health care provider that is participating in the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), including any physician furnishing services under such a program. (2) The Department of Defense. (3) The Indian Health Service. (4) Any Federally-qualified health center (as defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))). (5) Any health care provider not otherwise covered under any of paragraphs (1) through (4) that meets criteria established by the Secretary for purposes of this section. (d) Conditions Under Which Care Is Required To Be Furnished Through Non-Department Providers.— (1) The Secretary shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, furnish hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered veteran through health care providers specified in subsection (c) if— (A) the Department does not offer the care or services the veteran requires; (B) the Department does not operate a full-service medical facility in the State in which the covered veteran resides; (C) (i) the covered veteran was an eligible veteran under section 101(b)(2)(B) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) as of the day before the date of the enactment of the Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2018; (ii) continues to reside in a location that would qualify the veteran for eligibility under such section; and (iii) either— (I) resides in one of the five States with the lowest population density as determined by data from the 2010 decennial census; or (II) resides in a State not described in subclause (I) and— (aa) received care or services under this title in the year preceding the enactment of the Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2018; and (bb) is seeking care or services within 2 years of the date of the enactment of the Caring for Our Veterans Act of 2018; (D) the covered veteran has contacted the Department to request care or services and the Department is not able to furnish such care or services in a manner that complies with designated access standards developed by the Secretary under section 1703B o...

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (f), the Secretary shall not furnish hospital or domiciliary care or medical services outside any State. (b) (1) The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services outside a State to a veteran who is otherwise eligible to receive hospital care and medical services 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. (2) Care and services for a service-connected disability of a veteran who is not a citizen of the United States may be furnished under this subsection only— (A) if the veteran is in the Republic of the Philippines or in Canada; or (B) if the Secretary determines, as a matter of discretion and pursuant to regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, that it is appropriate and feasible to furnish such care and services. (c) Within the limits of those facilities of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center at Manila, Republic of the Philippines, for which the Secretary may contract, the Secretary may furnish necessary hospital care to a veteran for any non-service-connected disability if such veteran is unable to defray the expenses of necessary hospital care. The Secretary may enter into contracts to carry out this section. (d) The Secretary may furnish nursing home care, on the same terms and conditions set forth in section 1720(a) of this title, to any veteran who has been furnished hospital care in the Philippines pursuant to this section, but who requires a protracted period of nursing home care. (e) Within the limits of an outpatient clinic in the Republic of the Philippines that is under the direct jurisdiction of the Secretary, the Secretary may furnish a veteran who has a service-connected disability with such medical services as the Secretary determines to be needed. (f) (1) (A) The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services in the Freely Associated States, subject to agreements the Secretary shall enter into with the governments of the Freely Associated States as described in section 209(a)(4)(A) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024, and subject to subparagraph (B), to a veteran who is otherwise eligible to receive hospital care and medical services. (B) The agreements described in subparagraph (A) shall incorporate, to the extent practicable, the applicable laws of the Freely Associated States and define the care and services that can be legally provided by the Secretary in the Freely Associated States. (2) In furnishing hospital care and medical services under paragraph (1), the Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services through— (A) contracts or other agreements; (B) reimbursement; or (C) the direct provision of care by health care personnel of the Department. (3) In furnishing hospital care and medical services under paragraph (1), the Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services for any condition regardless of whether the condition is connected to the service of the veteran in the Armed Forces. (4) (A) A veteran who has received hospital care or medical services in a country pursuant to this subsection shall remain eligible, to the extent determined advisable and practicable by the Secretary, for hospital care or medical services in that country regardless of whether the country continues to qualify as a Freely Associated State for purposes of this subsection. (B) If the Secretary determines it is no longer advisable or practicable to allow veterans described in subparagraph (A) to remain eligible for hospital care or medical services pursuant to such subparagraph, the Secretary shall— (i) provide direct notice of that determination to such veterans; and (ii) publish that determination and the reasons for that determination in the Federal Register. (5) In this subsection, the term “Freely Associated States” means— (A) the Federate...