Veterans Choice Equal Cost for Care Act of 2016
This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to permit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to recover or collect reasonable charges for hospital care or medical services from a health-care plan when an eligible veteran is furnished such care or services for a non-service-connected disability.
The VA shall have the primary (and sole) responsibility to pay any related health insurance cost sharing amount.
An eligible veteran shall not pay a greater amount for receiving hospital care or medical services than the amount the veteran would pay for receiving the same or comparable care or services at a VA medical facility or from a VA health care provider. (The bill repeals the VA's secondary responsibility to pay the costs of care in such circumstances.)