This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a five-year pilot program allowing private neurosurgeons to negotiate higher reimbursement rates when providing specialized surgical services to veterans through the Veterans Community Care Program. The program targets rural and highly rural areas where VA facilities cannot provide neurosurgery services within a 60-day wait time or 100-mile distance, aiming to expand veterans' access to specialized care that would otherwise be unavailable. The VA must implement the program within one year and conduct it in at least two regional Veterans Integrated Service Networks, while the agency's Inspector General will review compliance and effectiveness annually. The legislation does not specify dedicated funding amounts but requires the VA to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of patients served, types of surgeries performed, total costs, health outcomes, and recommendations on whether the program should continue or become permanent.
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