119-HR5261

Bill is currently in: House
Path to Law
House Senate President

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5261

1. Short title
2. Modification of limitation on reimbursement for emergency treatment of amounts owed to a third party or for which the veteran is responsible under a health-plan contract

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Veterans Emergency Care Reimbursement Act of 2025".

2. Modification of limitation on reimbursement for emergency treatment of amounts owed to a third party or for which the veteran is responsible under a health-plan contract

(a) In general - Section 1725(c)(4)(D) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1) - by striking "The Secretary" and inserting "(i) The Secretary";

(2) - in clause (i), as designated by paragraph (1), by striking "or similar payment" and inserting "of less than $100"; and

(3) - by adding at the end the following new clause:

(ii) - In this subparagraph, the term copayment means a fixed amount paid by an individual for a covered health service received by the individual and does not include any amount paid for a deductible or coinsurance.

(b) Application of amendment - The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any reimbursement claim under section 1725 of such title submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished on or after February 1, 2012, including any such claim submitted by a member of the certified class seeking relief in Wolfe v. McDonough, No. 18–6091 (U.S. Vet. App.).

(c) Definitions - In this section:

(1) - The terms emergency treatment and health-plan contract have the meanings given those terms in section 1725(f) of title 38, United States Code.

(2) - The term reimbursement claim includes any claim by a veteran for reimbursement of a copayment, deductible, coinsurance, or any other type of cost share for emergency treatment furnished to the veteran in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs facility and made by a veteran who had coverage under a health-plan contract, including any claim for the reasonable value of emergency treatment that was rejected or denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs, whether the rejection or denial was final or not.