Pub. L. 93-82, tit. I, sec. 106

Sec. 106. (a) Subchapter III of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section: “§ 628. Reimbursement of certain medical expenses “(a) The Administrator may under such regulations as he shall prescribe, reimburse veterans entitled to hospital care or medical services under this chapter for the reasonable value of such care or services (including necessary travel), for which such veterans have made payment, from sources other than the Veterans’ Administration, where— “(1) such care oi‘ services were rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that they 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 ease 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 his 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. “(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 87 Stat. 184 “(2) to the person or organization making such expenditure on behalf of such veteran.”. (b) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by deleting ”626. Reimbursement for loss of personal effects by fire. “627. Persons eligible under prior law.”. and inserting in lieu thereof “626. Reimbursement for loss of personal effects by natural disaster. “627. Persons eligible under prior law. “628. Reimbursement of certain medical expenses.”.