(a) Electing non-VA care. Except as provided for in paragraph (d) of this section, a covered veteran eligible for the Veterans Community Care Program under § 17.4010 may choose to schedule an appointment with a VA health care provider, or have VA authorize the veteran to receive an episode of care for hospital care, medical services, or extended care services from an eligible entity or provider when VA determines such care or services are clinically necessary.

(b) Selecting an eligible entity or provider. A covered veteran may specify a particular eligible entity or provider. If a covered veteran does not specify a particular eligible entity or provider, VA will refer the veteran to a specific eligible entity or provider.

(c) Authorizing emergency treatment. This paragraph (c) applies only to emergency treatment furnished to a covered veteran by an eligible entity or provider when such treatment was not the subject of an election by a veteran under paragraph (a) of this section. This paragraph (c) does not affect eligibility for, or create any new rules or conditions affecting, reimbursement for emergency treatment under section 1725 or 1728 of title 38, United States Code.

(1) Under the conditions set forth in this paragraph (c), VA may authorize emergency treatment after it has been furnished to a covered veteran. For purposes of this paragraph (c), “emergency treatment” has the meaning defined in section 1725(f)(1) of title 38, United States Code.

(2) VA may only authorize emergency treatment under this paragraph (c) if the covered veteran, someone acting on the covered veteran's behalf, or the eligible entity or provider notifies VA within 72-hours of such care or services being furnished and VA approves the furnishing of such care or services under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(3) VA may approve emergency treatment of a covered veteran under this paragraph (c) only if:

(i) The veteran is receiving emergency treatment from an eligible entity or provider.

(ii) The notice to VA complies with the provisions of paragraph (c)(4) of this section and is submitted within 72 hours of the beginning of such treatment.

(iii) The emergency treatment only includes services covered by VA's medical benefits package in § 17.38.

(4) Notice to VA must:

(i) Be made to the appropriate VA official at the nearest VA facility;

(ii) Identify the covered veteran; and

(iii) Identify the eligible entity or provider.

(d) Organ and bone marrow transplant care. (1) In the case of a covered veteran described in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, the Secretary will determine whether to authorize an organ or bone marrow transplant for the covered veteran through an eligible entity or provider.

(2) The Secretary will make determinations under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, and the primary care provider of the veteran will make determinations concerning whether there is a medically compelling reason to travel outside the region of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network in which the veteran resides to receive a transplant, in consideration of, but not limited to, the following factors:

(i) Specific patient factors.

(ii) Which facilities meet VA's standards for quality, including quality metrics and outcomes, for the required transplant.

(iii) The travel burden on covered veterans based upon their medical conditions and the geographic location of eligible transplant centers.

(iv) The timeliness of transplant center evaluations and management.

(3) This paragraph (d) applies to covered veterans who meet one or more conditions of eligibility under § 17.4010(a) and:

(i) Require an organ or bone marrow transplant as determined by VA based upon generally-accepted medical criteria; and

(ii) Have, in the opinion of the primary care provider of the veteran, a medically compelling reason, as determined in consideration of the factors described in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, to travel outside the region of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network in which the veteran resides, to receive such transplant.