
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-377 Section 1(a)(1)[501(c)]]
[CITE: 38USC1724]

 
                      TITLE 38--VETERANS' BENEFITS
 
                        PART II--GENERAL BENEFITS
 
    CHAPTER 17--HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE
 
   SUBCHAPTER III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO HOSPITAL AND 
           NURSING HOME CARE AND MEDICAL TREATMENT OF VETERANS
 
Sec. 1724. Hospital care, medical services, and nursing home 
        care abroad
        
    (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary 
shall not furnish hospital or domiciliary care or medical services 
outside any State.
    (b)(1) The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services 
outside a State to a veteran who is otherwise eligible to receive 
hospital care and medical services if the Secretary determines that such 
care and services are needed for the treatment of a service-connected 
disability of the veteran or as part of a rehabilitation program under 
chapter 31 of this title.
    (2) Care and services for a service-connected disability of a 
veteran who is not a citizen of the United States may be furnished under 
this subsection only--
        (A) if the veteran is in the Republic of the Philippines or in 
    Canada; or
        (B) if the Secretary determines, as a matter of discretion and 
    pursuant to regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, that it 
    is appropriate and feasible to furnish such care and services.

    (c) Within the limits of those facilities of the Veterans Memorial 
Medical Center at Manila, Republic of the Philippines, for which the 
Secretary may contract, the Secretary 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 
Secretary may enter into contracts to carry out this section.
    (d) The Secretary may furnish nursing home care, on the same terms 
and conditions set forth in section 1720(a) 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.

(Pub. L. 85-857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1144, Sec. 624; Pub. L. 86-152, 
Aug. 11, 1959, 73 Stat. 332; Pub. L. 86-624, Sec. 25(a), July 12, 1960, 
74 Stat. 418; Pub. L. 87-815, Sec. 4, Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat. 927; Pub. 
L. 93-82, title I, Sec. 108, Aug. 2, 1973, 87 Stat. 186; Pub. L. 94-581, 
title II, Secs. 202(l), 210(a)(11), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2856, 2863; 
Pub. L. 95-520, Sec. 3(a), Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1820; Pub. L. 97-72, 
title I, Sec. 107(a), Nov. 3, 1981, 95 Stat. 1051; Pub. L. 97-295, 
Sec. 4(20), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1306; Pub. L. 100-322, title I, 
Sec. 105, May 20, 1988, 102 Stat. 493; renumbered Sec. 1724 and amended 
Pub. L. 102-83, Secs. 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 
Stat. 404-406.)


                            Prior Provisions

    Prior section 1724 was renumbered section 3524 of this title.
    Prior section 1725, Pub. L. 85-857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1197, 
related to period of operation for approval by Administrator, prior to 
repeal by Pub. L. 92-540, title IV, Sec. 402(2), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 
1090. See section 3689 of this title.


                               Amendments

    1991--Pub. L. 102-83, Sec. 5(a), renumbered section 624 of this 
title as this section.
    Pub. L. 102-83, Sec. 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted ``Secretary'' for 
``Administrator'' wherever appearing.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102-83, Sec. 5(c)(1), substituted ``1720(a)'' 
for ``620(a)''.
    1988--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-322 amended subsec. (b) generally. 
Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: ``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.''
    1982--Pub. L. 97-295 substituted ``Hospital care, medical services, 
and nursing home care abroad'' for ``Hospital care and medical services 
abroad'' in section catchline, without regard to a prior amendment by 
Pub. L. 93-82, which had substituted ``Hospital care, medical services 
and nursing home care abroad'' for ``Hospital care and medical services 
abroad''. See 1973 Amendment note below.
    1981--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97-72 struck out ``and at the same rate 
as specified in section 632(a)(4) of this title'' after ``on the same 
terms and conditions set forth in section 620(a) of this title''.
    1978--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95-520 substituted ``Veterans Memorial 
Medical Center'' for ``Veterans Memorial Hospital''.
    1976--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94-581 substituted ``the Administrator 
may furnish'' for ``he may furnish'' and ``hospital care to a veteran 
for any'' for ``hospital care to a veteran of any war for any''.
    1973--Pub. L. 93-82, Sec. 108(b), substituted ``Hospital care, 
medical services and nursing home care abroad'' for ``Hospital care and 
medical services abroad'' in section catchline.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 93-82, Sec. 108(a), added subsec. (d).
    1962--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87-815 struck out ``temporarily'' before 
``sojourning''.
    1960--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 86-624 substituted ``outside any State'' 
for ``outside the continental limits of the United States, or a 
Territory, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States''.
    1959--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 86-152 extended authority to provide 
hospital and medical care for veterans who are United States citizens 
temporarily residing abroad to include those with peacetime service-
incurred disabilities.


                    Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 94-581 effective Oct. 21, 1976, see section 211 
of Pub. L. 94-581, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1973 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 93-82 effective Sept. 1, 1973, see section 501 
of Pub. L. 93-82, set out as a note under section 1701 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1703, 1722, 1732 of this 
title.
