[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9502 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9502

  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into a 
  memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Health and Human 
   Services to avoid duplicative, improper, or erroneous billings or 
  payments for hospital care and medical services furnished under the 
        laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2026

Mr. Bresnahan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on 
      Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into a 
  memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Health and Human 
   Services to avoid duplicative, improper, or erroneous billings or 
  payments for hospital care and medical services furnished under the 
        laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protect Seniors and Veterans from 
Health Care Fraud Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR RECIPROCAL ACCESS TO CERTAIN 
              HEALTH CARE DATA BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, for 
purposes of avoiding duplicative, improper, or erroneous billings or 
payments for hospital care and medical services furnished under the 
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, seek to enter 
into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services with respect to reciprocal access between the Veterans 
Health Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services to data and information on veterans who are concurrently 
enrolled in the patient enrollment system under section 1705(a) of 
title 38, United States Code, and--
            (1) the Medicare program;
            (2) the Medicaid program; or
            (3) a Medicare Advantage plan.
    (b) Agreement.--The memorandum of understanding required under 
subsection (a) shall include an agreement through which--
            (1) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs transmits to the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services--
                    (A) information relating to veterans who are--
                            (i) enrolled in such system for patient 
                        enrollment; and
                            (ii) in receipt of hospital care or medical 
                        services under laws administered by the 
                        Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
                    (B) such other information as the Secretary of 
                Veterans Affairs determines appropriate, including 
                billing codes and diagnostic codes for such hospital 
                care or medical services; and
            (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services--
                    (A) uses information transmitted pursuant to 
                paragraph (1) to identify veterans who are concurrently 
                enrolled in such system for patient enrollment and--
                            (i) the Medicare program;
                            (ii) the Medicaid program; or
                            (iii) a Medicare Advantage plan; and
                    (B) transmits to the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs--
                            (i) a list of the veterans identified 
                        pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
                            (ii) such other information as the 
                        Secretary of Health and Human Services 
                        determines appropriate.
    (c) Term.--The memorandum of understanding required under 
subsection (a) shall be effective for a two-year period beginning on 
the date on which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs enters into such 
memorandum.
    (d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs enters into the memorandum of 
understanding required under subsection (a), and on a biennial basis 
thereafter during the period such memorandum is effective, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a report that includes--
            (1) a summary of the activities of the Secretary carried 
        out pursuant to such memorandum; and
            (2) an assessment of the Secretary with respect to the 
        effectiveness of such memorandum in avoiding duplicative, 
        improper, or erroneous billings or payments for hospital care 
        and medical services furnished under the laws administered by 
        the Secretary.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``Medicaid program'' means the program of 
        medical assistance established under title XIX of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
            (2) The term ``Medicare Advantage plan'' means a Medicare 
        Advantage plan under the program established under part C of 
        title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-21 et 
        seq.).
            (3) The term ``Medicare program'' means the Medicare 
        program under such title.
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