Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 3.djvu/322

 98 STAT. 2694

PUBLIC LAW 98-528—OCT. 19, 1984 (5) A review of any steps taken to arrange for the exchange of information between Veterans' Administration facilities providing the care, counseling, and services described in subsection (a) and non-Veterans' Administration facilities providing similar care, counseling, and services. VETERANS RESIDING IN REMOTE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS

Study.

SEC. 202. (a) The Congress makes the following findings: (1) Many veterans with service-connected disabilities and other veterans eligible for certain health-care services from the Veterans' Administration, within the limits of Veterans' Administration facilities, reside in areas of the United States that are geographically remote from health-care facilities over which the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs has direct jurisdiction. (2) For many such veterans such health-care facilities are geographically inaccessible and for many other such veterans the inconvenience of travel to such facilities discourages them from seeking health-care services from the Veterans' Administration. (3) A study conducted by the Administrator of eligible veterans residing in remote areas and the use by those veterans of Veterans' Administration health-care services would provide useful information on the feasibility and appropriateness of alternative approaches to furnishing health-care services to such veterans. (b)(1) The Administrator shall carry out a study to develop information about veterans who reside in remote areas and are eligible for health-care services from the Veterans' Administration and to develop alternative approaches that could be adopted to furnish such veterans with such services. In carrying out the study, the Administrator shall develop the following information: (A) To the maximum extent feasible, statistics on the number of eligible veterans who, during fiscal year 1985— (i) reside less than fifty miles from the nearest Veterans' Administration medical facility, (ii) reside between fifty miles and one hundred miles from the nearest Veterans' Administration medical facility, (iii) reside between one hundred miles and two hundred miles from the nearest Veterans' Administration medical facility, and (iv) reside more than two hundred miles from the nearest Veterans' Administration medical facility. (B) Statistics, shown by each group of veterans described in clause (A), on the numbers of eligible veterans who, during fiscal year 1985— (i) use Veterans' Administration medical facilities, (ii) receive inpatient care in such facilities (including the typical lengths of stay of such veterans in such facilities), (iii) receive outpatient care from such facilities, and (iv) receive followup health-care services from such facilities. (C) Such additional statistics and such additional information as the Administrator considers appropriate. (D) Breakdowns of the statistics described in clauses (A) and (B) with respect to age, service connection, and financial need regarding the applicable veteran populations.

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