Subchapter III-Miscellaneous Provisions Relating to Hospital and Nursing Home Care and Medical Treatment of Veterans § 621. Power to make rules and regulations The Administrator shall prescribe

(1) such rules and procedure governing the furnishing of hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care as the Administrator may deem proper and necessary;

(2) limitations in connection with the furnishing of hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care; and

(3) such rules and regulations as the Administrator deems necessary in order to promote good conduct on the part of persons who are receiving hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care in Veterans' Administration facilities. (Amended P.L. 94-581, §§ 202 (j), 210 (a) (8).)

§ 622. Statement under oath

(a) For the purposes of section 610 (a) (1) (B), section 610(b) (2), section 624 (c), and section 632 (a) (2) of this title, the statement under oath of an applicant on such form as may be prescribed by the Administrator shall be accepted as sufficient evidence of inability to defray necessary expenses. (Amended P.L. 89-612, § 1; P.L. 94-581, § 202 (k).)

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the receipt of pension under any law administered by the Veterans' Administration shall constitute sufficient evidence of inability to defray necessary expenses, and any veteran in receipt of such pension shall be exempt from making any statement under oath regarding such veteran's inability to defray necessary expenses. (Added P.L. 91-500, § 1); amended P.L. 94-581, § 210 (a) (9).)

§ 623. Furnishing of clothing

The Administrator shall not furnish clothing to persons who are in Veterans' Administration facilities, except (1) where the furnishing of such clothing to indigent persons is necessary to protect health or sanitation, and (2) where the Administrator furnishes veterans with special clothing made necessary by the wearing of prosthetic appliances. (Amended P.L. 94-581, § 210 (a) (10).)

§ 624. Hospital care, medical services and nursing home care abroad

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the Administrator shall not furnish hospital or domiciliary care or medical services outside any State. (Amended P.L. 86-624, § 25 (a).)

(b) The Administrator may furnish necessary hospital care and medical services to any otherwise eligible veteran for any service-connected disability if the veteran (1) is a citizen of the United States sojourning or residing abroad, or (2) is in the Republic of the Philippines. (Amended P.L. 86-152; P.L. 87-815, § 4.)

(c) Within the limits of those facilities of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center at Manila, Republic of the Philippines, for which the Administrator may contract, the Administrator may furnish necessary

hospital care to a veteran for any non-service-connected disability if such veteran is unable to defray the expenses of necessary hospital care. The Administrator may enter into contracts to carry out this section. (Amended P.L. 94-581, §§ 202(1), 210(a) (11); P.L. 95–520, § 3(a).)

(d) The Administrator may furnish nursing home care, on the same terms and conditions set forth in section 620 (a) of this title and at the same rate as specified in section 632 (a) (4) of this title, to any veteran who has been furnished hospital care in the Philippines pursuant to this section, but who requires a protracted period of nursing home care. (Added P.L. 93-82, § 108 (a).)

§ 626. Reimbursement for loss of personal effects by natural disaster

The Administrator shall, under regulations which the Administråtor shall prescribe, reimburse veterans in Veterans' Administration hospitals and domiciliaries for any loss of personal effects sustained by fire, earthquake, or other natural disaster while such effects were stored in designated locations in Veterans' Administration hospitals or domiciliaries. (Amended P.L. 93-82, § 105; P.L. 94-581, § 210 (a) (12).)

§ 627. Persons eligible under prior law

Persons who have a status which would, under the laws in effect on December 31, 1957, entitle them to the medical services, hospital and domiciliary care, and other benefits, provided for in this chapter, but who did not meet the service requirements contained in this chapter, shall be entitled to such benefits notwithstanding failure to meet such service requirements. (Amended P.L. 94-581, § 202 (m).)

§ 628. Reimbursement of certain medical expenses

(a) The Administrator may, under such regulations as the Administrator shall prescribe, reimburse veterans entitled to hospital care or medicial services under this chapter for the reasonable value of such care or services (including the necessary travel), for which such veterans have made payment, from sources other than the Veterans' Administration, where

(1) such care or services were rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health;

(2) such care or services were rendered to a veteran in need thereof (A) for an adjudicated service-connected disability, (B) for a non-service-connected disability associated with and held to be aggravating a service-connected disability, (C) for any disability of a veteran who has a total disability permanent in nature from a service-connected disability, or (D) for any illness, injury, or dental condition in the case of a veteran who is found to be (i) in need of vocational rehabilitation under chapter 31 of this title and for whom an objective had been selected or (ii) pursuing a course of vocational rehabilitation training and is medically determined to have been in need of care or treatment to make possible such veteran's entrance into a course of training, or prevent

interruption of a course of training, or hasten the return to a course of training which was interrupted because of such illness, injury, or dental condition; and

(3) Veterans' Administration or other Federal facilities were not feasibly available, and an attempt to use them beforehand would not have been reasonable, sound, wise, or practical. (Added P.L. 93–82, § 106(a); amended P.L. 94–581, §§ 202 (n), 210(a) (13).)

(b) In any case where reimbursement would be in order under subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator may, in lieu of reimbursing such veteran, make payment of the reasonable value of care or services directly

(1) to the hospital or other health facility furnishing the care or services; or

(2) to the person or organization making such expenditure on behalf of such veteran. (Added P.L. 93-82, § 106 (a).)

Subchapter IV-Hospital and Medical Care for Commonwealth of the Philippines Army Veterans

§ 631. Assistance to the Republic of the Philippines

The President is authorized to assist the Republic of the Philippines in providing medical care and treatment for Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts in need of such care and treatment for service-connected disabilities and non-service-connected I disabilities under certain conditions. (Amended P.L. 91-24, § 6(b); P.L. 93-82, § 107(a).)

§ 632. Contracts and grants to provide hospital care, medical services and nursing home care

(a) The President, with the concurrence of the Republic of the Philippines, may authorize the Administrator to enter into contracts with the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, with the approval of the appropriate department of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, covering the period beginning on July 1, 1973, and ending on September 30, 1981, under which the United States

(1) will pay for hospital care in the Republic of the Philippines, or for medical services which shall be provided either in the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, or by contract, or otherwise by the Administrator in accordance with the conditions and limitations applicable generally to beneficiaries under section 612 of this title, for Commonwealth Army veterans and for new Philippine Scouts determined by the Administrator to be in need of such hospital care or medical services for service-connected disabilities;

(2) will pay for hospital care at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center for Commonwealth Army veterans, and for new Philippine Scouts if they enlisted before July 4, 1946, determined by the Administrator to need such care for non-service-connected disabilities if they are unable to defray the expenses of necessary hospital care;

(3) may provide for the payment of travel expenses pursuant to section 111 of this title for Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts in connection with hospital care or medical services furnished them;

(4) may provide for payments for nursing home care, on the same terms and conditions as set forth in section 620 (a) of this title, for any Commonwealth Army veteran or new Philippine Scout determined to need such care at a per diem rate not to exceed 50 per centum of the hospital per diem rate established pursuant to clause (6) of this subsection;

(5) may provide that payments for hospital care and for medical services provided to Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts or to United States veterans may consist in whole or in part of available medicines, medical supplies, and equipment furnished by the Administrator to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center at valuations therefor as determined by the Administrator, who may furnish through the revolving supply fund, pursuant to section 5011 of this title, such medicines, medical supplies, and equipment as necessary for this purpose and to use therefore, as applicable, appropriations available for such payments;

(6) will provide for payments for such hospital care at a per diem rate to be jointly determined for each fiscal year by the two Governments to be fair and reasonable; and

(7) may stop payments under any such contract upon reasonable notice as stipulated by the contract if the Republic of the Philippines and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center fail to maintain such hospital in a well-equipped and effective operating condition, as determined by the Administrator. (Amended P.L. 88-40, §§ 1, 2; P.L. 89-612, §2(2); P.L. 93-82, § 107(a); P.L. 95-520, § 3(b)(1), (2).)

(b) The total of the payments authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall not exceed $2,000,000 for any one fiscal year ending before October 1, 1981, which shall include an amount not to exceed $250,000 for any one such fiscal year for the purposes of clause (4) of such subsection. (Added P.L. 89-612, § 2(3); amended P.L. 91-24, § 6(c); P.L. 93-82, § 107(a); P.L. 95-520, § 3 (b) (3).)

(c) The contract authorized by subsection (a) of this section may provide for the use by the Republic of the Philippines of beds, equipment, and other facilities of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center at Manila, not required for hospital care of Commonwealth Army vetcrans or new Philippine Scouts for service-connected disabilities, for hospital care of other persons in the discretion of the Republic of the Philippines except that (1) priority of admission and retention in such hospital shall be accorded Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts needing hospital care for service-connected disabilities, and (2) such use shall not preclude the use of available facilities in such hospital on a contract basis for hospital care or medical services for persons eligible there for from the Veterans' Administration. (Added P.L. 89-612, § 2(3); amended P.L. 93-82, 107(a); P.L. 95-520, § 3(b) (1).)

(d) To further assure the effective care and treatment of patients in the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, there is authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year occurring during the period beginning July 1, 1973, and ending September 30, 1981

(1) the sum of $50,000 to be used by the Administrator for making grants to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center for the purpose of education and training of health service personnel who are assigned to such hospital; and

(2) the sum of $50,000 to be used by the Administrator for making grants to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center for the purpose of assisting the Republic of the Philippines in the replacement and upgrading of equipment and in rehabilitating the physical plant and facilities of such hospital.

Such grants shall be made on such terms and conditions as prescribed by the Administrator, including approval by the Administrator of all education and training programs conducted by the hospital under such grants. Any appropriation made for carrying out the purposes of clause (2) of this subsection shall remain available until expended. (Added P.L. 89-612, § 2(3); amended P.L. 93-82. § 107(a); P.L. 94-581, § 210 (a)(14); P.L. 95–520, § 3(b)(1), (4).) § 633. Supervision of program by the President

The President, or any officer of the United States to whom the President may delegate authority under this section, may from time to time prescribe such rules and regulations and impose such conditions on the receipt of financial aid as may be necessary to carry out this subchapter. (Amended P.L. 94–581, § 210(a) (15).)

§ 634. Definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter

(1) The term "Commonwealth Army veterans" means persons who served before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Government of the Philippines, while such forces were in the service of the Armed Forces pursuant to the military order of the President dated July 26, 1941, including among such military forces organized guerrilla forces under commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the Army of the United States, and who were discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable. The term "new Philippine Scouts" means persons who served in the Philippine Scouts under section 14 of the Armed Forces Voluntary Recruitment Act of 1945, and who were discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable. (Amended P.L. 89-612, § 3.)

(2) The term "service-connected disabilities" means disabilities determined by the Administrator under laws administered by the Veterans' Administration to have been incurred in or aggravated by the service described in paragraph (1) in line of duty.

Subchapter V-Payments to State Homes

§ 641. Criteria for payment

(a) The Administrator shall pay each State at the per diem rate of— (1) $5.50 for domiciliary care,