(a) In managing the provision of hospital care and medical services under section 1710(a) of this title, the Secretary, in accordance with regulations the Secretary shall prescribe, shall establish and operate a system of annual patient enrollment. The Secretary shall manage the enrollment of veterans in accordance with the following priorities, in the order listed:
(1) Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or greater and veterans who were awarded the medal of honor under section 7271, 8291, or 9271 of title 10 or section 491 1 of title 14.
(2) Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 percent or 40 percent.
(3) Veterans who are former prisoners of war or who were awarded the Purple Heart, veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10 percent or 20 percent, and veterans described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 1710(a)(2) of this title.
(4) Veterans who are in receipt of increased pension based on a need of regular aid and attendance or by reason of being permanently housebound and other veterans who are catastrophically disabled.
(5) Veterans not covered by paragraphs (1) through (4) who are unable to defray the expenses of necessary care as determined under section 1722(a) of this title.
(6) All other veterans eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care under section 1710(a)(2) of this title.
(7) Veterans described in section 1710(a)(3) of this title who are eligible for treatment as a low-income family under section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)) for the area in which such veterans reside, regardless of whether such veterans are treated as single person families under paragraph (3)(A) of such section 3(b) or as families under paragraph (3)(B) of such section 3(b).
(8) Veterans described in section 1710(a)(3) of this title who are not covered by paragraph (7).
(b) In the design of an enrollment system under subsection (a), the Secretary—
(1) shall ensure that the system will be managed in a manner to ensure that the provision of care to enrollees is timely and acceptable in quality;
(2) may establish additional priorities within each priority group specified in subsection (a), as the Secretary determines necessary; and
(3) may provide for exceptions to the specified priorities where dictated by compelling medical reasons.
(c)
(1) The Secretary may not provide hospital care or medical services to a veteran under paragraph (2) or (3) of section 1710(a) of this title unless the veteran enrolls in the system of patient enrollment established by the Secretary under subsection (a).
(2) The Secretary shall provide hospital care and medical services under section 1710(a)(1) of this title, and under subparagraph (B) of section 1710(a)(2) of this title, for the 12-month period following such veteran's discharge or release from service, to any veteran referred to in such sections for a disability specified in the applicable subparagraph of such section, notwithstanding the failure of the veteran to enroll in the system of patient enrollment referred to in subsection (a) of this section.
References in Text
Section 491 of title 14, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was redesignated section 2732 of title 14 by Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §116(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4226, and references to section 491 of title 14 deemed to refer to such redesignated section, see section 123(b)(1) of Pub. L. 115–282, set out as a References to Redesignated Sections of Title 14 note preceding section 101 of Title 14, Coast Guard.
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted "section 7271, 8291, or 9271 of title 10" for "section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10".
2016—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–315, §603(a)(1)(A), inserted "and veterans who were awarded the medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14" before period at end.
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 114–315, §603(a)(1)(B), struck out "veterans who were awarded the medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14," after "awarded the Purple Heart,".
2010—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 111–163 inserted "veterans who were awarded the medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14," after "the Purple Heart,".
2002—Subsec. (a)(7), (8). Pub. L. 107–135 added pars. (7) and (8) and struck out former par. (7) which read as follows: "Veterans described in section 1710(a)(3) of this title."
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 107–330 substituted "The Secretary" for "Effective on October 1, 1998, the Secretary".
1999—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106–117 inserted "or who were awarded the Purple Heart" after "former prisoners of war".
Effective Date of 2018 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Pub. L. 107–135, title II, §202(c), Jan. 23, 2002, 115 Stat. 2457, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 1710 of this title] shall take effect on October 1, 2002."
Application
Pub. L. 114–315, title VI, §603(a)(2), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1570, provided that: "The priority of enrollment of medal of honor recipients in the system of annual patient enrollment established and operated under section 1705(a) of such title [38 U.S.C. 1705(a)], as amended by paragraph (1), shall apply to each such recipient, regardless of the date on which the medal is awarded."
Assessment of Implementation and Operation of Amendments by Pub. L. 104–262
Pub. L. 104–262, title I, §106, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3184, provided that:
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) the effect of implementation of, and provision and management of care under, sections 101, 103, and 104 (including the amendments made by those sections) on demand for health care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs by veterans described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1710(a) of title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 101;
"(2) any differing patterns of demand on the part of such veterans relating to such factors as relative distance from Department facilities and prior experience, or lack of experience, as recipients of care from the Department;
"(3) the extent to which the Department has met such demand for care; and
"(4) changes in health-care delivery patterns in Department facilities and the fiscal impact of such changes.
"(c)
"(1) The number of veterans enrolled for care at each Department medical facility and, of such veterans, the number enrolled at each such facility who had not received care from the Department during the preceding three fiscal years.
"(2) With respect to the veterans who had not received care from the Department during the three preceding fiscal years, the total cost of providing care to such veterans, shown in total and separately (A) by level of care, and (B) by reference to whether care was furnished in Department facilities or under contract arrangements.
"(3) With respect to the number of veterans described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1710(a) of title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 101, who applied for health care from the Department during fiscal year 1997—
"(A) the number who applied for care (shown in total and separately by facility);
"(B) the number who were denied enrollment (shown in total and separately by facility); and
"(C) the number who were denied care which was considered to be medically necessary but not of an emergency nature (shown in total and separately by facility).
"(4) The numbers and characteristics of, and the type and extent of health care furnished to, veterans enrolled for care (shown in total and separately by facility).
"(5) The numbers and characteristics of, and the type and extent of health care furnished to, veterans not enrolled for care (shown separately by reference to each class of eligibility, both in total and separately by facility).
"(6) The specific fiscal impact (shown in total and by geographic health-care delivery areas) of changes in delivery patterns instituted under the amendments made by this title [enacting this section and section 1706 of this title and amending sections 1525, 1701, 1703, 1710, 1712, 1712A, 1717, 1718, 1720, 1722, 1729, 2104, 5317, 8110, and 8111A of this title]."
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