Title 38 › Part PART II— - GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 17— - HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATING TO HOSPITAL AND NURSING HOME CARE AND MEDICAL TREATMENT OF VETERANS › § 1724
The Secretary must not give hospital care, long‑term care, or medical services outside any U.S. State, except in the specific cases listed below. The Secretary may provide care abroad when it is needed to treat a service‑connected disability or as part of a VA rehabilitation program under chapter 31. If the veteran is not a U.S. citizen, care for a service‑connected disability can be given only if the veteran is in the Republic of the Philippines or in Canada, or if the Secretary decides it is appropriate and feasible under rules the Secretary makes. The Secretary may also pay for or arrange hospital care in the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Manila for veterans who cannot afford care for non‑service disabilities, and may set up contracts to do this. A veteran who got hospital care in the Philippines under these rules may get nursing home care on the same terms as section 1720(a) if they need long care. The Secretary may provide needed outpatient care at a VA clinic in the Philippines for veterans with service‑connected disabilities. The Secretary may also provide care in the Freely Associated States under agreements required by section 209(a)(4)(A) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024. Those agreements must, as much as possible, follow local laws and say what care can be provided. Care there may be by contract, by reimbursement, or by VA staff, and may cover any condition. The Freely Associated States are the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau while each is party to the compacts cited in section 201 of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–239; 48 U.S.C. 1901 note) and the Palau compact (Public Law 99–658; 48 U.S.C. 1931 note). If the Secretary later ends eligibility for care in a country, the Secretary must notify affected veterans and publish the decision and reasons in the Federal Register.
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Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 1724
Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73