H.R. 71 — Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

This section directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, through the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment, to carry out a three-year pilot program—beginning one year after enactment in at least four Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) spanning rural and urban areas—to enable eligible veterans to choose providers in the covered care system for hospital care, medical services, and extended care services. Under the pilot, the Secretary must furnish such care (1) at any VA medical facility regardless of the veteran's VISN; (2) at non-VA facilities under 38 U.S.C. §1703 without regard to subsection (d) requirements (i.e., VA capacity and access standards) or under §1703A without regard to subsection (a)(1)(C) requirements (i.e., eligibility based on access standards); requires participating veterans to select a primary care provider (who may include designated specialists such as endocrinologists, neurologists, or obstetrician-gynecologists) for care coordination and referrals; allows direct selection of any specialty or mental health provider; and mandates provision of information on eligibility, cost-sharing, treatments, and providers. Beginning four years after enactment, this section amends 38 U.S.C. §1703(d) and §1703A(a)(1) to apply these pilot conditions permanently to covered veterans (thus waiving access standards under the Veterans Community Care Program and Veterans Care Agreements) and requires furnishing such care at any VA medical facility regardless of the veteran's VISN. (As background, these programs enable VA-eligible veterans to receive care from community providers when VA facilities cannot meet timely access or capacity standards.)