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

§8154 Exchange of Medical Information

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

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can make deals with medical schools, hospitals, research centers, and individual doctors so they can share medical information, methods, and services with one another. The Secretary must use modern electronic equipment to link Department hospitals with major medical centers. These links and agreements are meant to build an academic medicine setting at each Department hospital in the agreements so the hospitals can attract and keep well-trained medical staff. The educational programs and electronic links must be offered to the local medical community, including State home facilities that care for veterans. The Secretary may charge a fee on an annual or similar basis. Fees must be set fairly after study and must take a user’s financial situation into account. Money collected goes to the Department’s medical fund. The Secretary can also make agreements with public and nonprofit groups to join local cooperative health‑care training programs in areas 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.