§8154 — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

§8154 Exchange of medical information

Title 38 › Part PART VI— - ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF HOSPITAL AND DOMICILIARY FACILITIES; PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY; ENHANCED-USE LEASES OF REAL PROPERTY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - SHARING OF MEDICAL FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND INFORMATION › § 8154

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can make agreements with medical schools, hospitals, research centers, and doctors so they share medical information and services under agreed terms. The Secretary must use modern electronic equipment to link Department hospitals with major medical centers for teaching, research, and professional work. These agreements should help each participating Department hospital act more like an academic hospital and attract well-trained staff. The teaching services and electronic links must be made available to the local medical community, including State homes that give long-term, nursing, or hospital care to veterans. The Secretary may charge an annual or similar fee for these services, set after study and meant to be fair, and must consider a user’s finances when setting the fee. Money collected goes to the appropriate Department medical appropriation. The Secretary may also partner with public and nonprofit groups to run cooperative health-care training programs near Department facilities that are far from major academic centers.

Title 38, §8154

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary is authorized to enter into agreements with medical schools, hospitals, research centers, and individual members of the medical profession under which medical information and techniques will be freely exchanged and the medical information services of all parties to the agreement will be available for use by any party to the agreement under conditions specified in the agreement. In carrying out the purposes of this section, the Secretary shall utilize recent developments in electronic equipment to provide a close educational, scientific, and professional link between Department hospitals and major medical centers. Such agreements shall be utilized by the Secretary to the maximum extent practicable to create, at each Department hospital which is a part of any such agreement, an environment of academic medicine which will help such hospital attract and retain highly trained and qualified members of the medical profession.

(b)In order to bring about utilization of all medical information in the surrounding medical community, particularly in remote areas, and to foster and encourage the widest possible cooperation and consultation among all members of the medical profession in such community, the educational facilities and programs established at Department hospitals and the electronic link to medical centers shall be made available for use by the surrounding medical community (including State home facilities furnishing domiciliary, nursing home, or hospital care to veterans). The Secretary may charge a fee for such services (on annual or like basis) at rates which the Secretary determines, after appropriate study, to be fair and equitable. The financial status of any user of such services shall be taken into consideration by the Secretary in establishing the amount of the fee to be paid. Any proceeds to the Government received therefrom shall be credited to the applicable Department medical appropriation.

(c)The Secretary is authorized to enter into agreements with public and nonprofit private institutions, organizations, corporations, and other entities in order to participate in cooperative health-care personnel education programs within the geographical area of any Department health-care facility located in an area remote from major academic health centers.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–40 renumbered section 5054 of this title as this section. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(3), (4), substituted “Department” for “Veterans’ Administration” wherever appearing. 1982—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–251 inserted “(including State home facilities furnishing domiciliary, nursing home, or hospital care to veterans)” after “by the surrounding medical community”. 1979—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–151 added subsec. (c). 1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–581 substituted “by the surrounding” for “by surrounding” and “which the Administrator determines” for “which he determines”. Pub. L. 94–424 inserted provision that any proceeds to the Government received therefrom shall be credited to the applicable Veterans’ Administration medical appropriation.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–581 effective Oct. 21, 1976, see section 211 of Pub. L. 94–581, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.