Pub. L. 93-82, tit. I, sec. 103

Sec. 103. (a) Subsection (f) of section 612 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(f) The Administrator may also furnish medical services for any disability on an outpatient or ambulatory basis— 87 Stat. 181 “(1) to any veteran eligible for hospital care under section 610 of this title (A) where such services are reasonably necessary in preparation for, or to obviate the need of. hospital admission, or (B) where such a veteran has been granted hospital care and such medical services are reasonably necessary to complete treatment incident to such hospital care: and “(2) to any veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at 80 per centum or more.”. (b) Strike out sections 613 and 614 in their entirety and insert in lieu thereof: “§613. Medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans “(a) The Administrator is authorized to provide medical care, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, for— “(1) the wife or child of a veteran who has a total disability, permanent in nature, resulting from a service-connected disability, and “(2) the widow or child of a veteran who died as a result of a service-connected disability who are not otherwise eligible for medical care under chapter 55 of title 11) (CHAMPUS). “(b) In order to accomplish the purposes of subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator shall provide for medical care in the same or similar manner and subject to the same or similar limitations as medical care is furnished to certain dependents and survivors of active duty and retired members of the Armed Forces under chapter 55 of title 10 (CHAMPUS), by— “(1) entering into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense under which the Secretary shall include coverage for such medical care under the contract, or contracts, he enters into to carry out such chapter 55, and under which the Administrator shall fully reimburse the Secretary for all costs and expenditures made for the purposes of affording the medical care authorized pursuant to this section; or “(2) contracting hr accordance with such regulations as he shall prescribe for such insurance, medical service, or health plans as he deems appropriate. In eases in which Veterans’ Administration medical facilities are particularly equipped to provide the most effective care and treatment, the Administrator is also authorized to carry out such purposes through the use of such facilities not being utilized for the care of eligible veterans. “§614. Fitting and training in use of prosthetic appliances; seeing-eye dogs “(a) Any veteran who is entitled to a prosthetic appliance shall be furnished such fitting and training, including institutional training, m the use of such appliance as may be necessary, whether in a Veterans’ Administration facility or other training institution, or by out-patient treatment, including such service under contract, and including 87 Stat. 182necessary travel expenses to and from his home to such hospital or training institution. “(b) The Administrator may provide seeing-eye or guide dogs trained for the aid of the blind to veterans who are entitled to disability compensation, and he may pay all necessary travel expenses to and from their homes and incurred in becoming adjusted to such seeing-eye or guide dogs. The Administrator may also provide such veterans with mechanical or electronic equipment for aiding them in overcoming the handicap of blindness.”. (c) the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by striking out “613. Fitting and training in use of prosthetic appliances. “614. Seeing-eye dogs.” and inserting “613. Medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans. “614. Fitting and training in use of prosthetic appliances; seeing-eye dogs.”.