DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015

Summary

Delivering Opportunities for Care and Services for Veterans Act of 2015 or the DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) residents for payments to hospitals for direct graduate medical education (GME) costs, in particular the limitation on the total number of FTE residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine in a hospital's approved medical residency training program. In applying this limitation, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall not take into account any such resident who counts towards meeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) obligation under the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to increase the number of GME residency positions at VA medical facilities by up to 1,500 positions. The period for increasing GME residency positions at VA medical facilities is extended to 10 years. The VA and HHS shall jointly conduct a six-year pilot program to establish at least three graduate behavioral medicine residency programs in underserved areas in the United States. Education and training of marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health counselors shall be included in VA health personnel education and training programs. Persons with a doctoral degree in mental health counseling are eligible for appointment to a VA mental health counselor position. Physician assistants in VA facilities must receive pay competitive with pay for similar positions in non-VA facilities in the same labor market. At least 30% of debt reduction payments paid under the education debt reduction program each year shall be paid to individuals who practice medicine in a rural or highly rural area. The positions (and pay) of Directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks are established. The VA shall conduct a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of implementing in rural and highly rural areas with a large percentage of veterans a nurse advice line to provide veterans with medical advice, appointment and cancellation services, and information on the availability of VA benefits.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 24 June 2015

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 24 June 2015

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 6 October 2015

   Committee

   Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-242.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 24 June 2015 · Download file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 24 June 2015

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 24 June 2015

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 24 June 2015

  Open at official source

  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

• Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D · Cosponsor
• · ssva00 · Standing

Related records

• related to ← To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the disregard of certain resident slots that include Department of Veterans Affairs training in determining payments for direct graduate medical education costs, and for other purposes.
• related to ← DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015