What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide boxing-based exercise classes to veterans who have been diagnosed with certain movement disorders. Veterans can receive these classes either at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility or get reimbursement (payment back) for classes they take at other facilities.
Who It Affects
- Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs health care system who have been diagnosed with a covered movement disorder
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities
- Non-Department facilities that provide boxing-based exercise classes
Key Provisions
- The Secretary must provide boxing-based exercise classes to eligible veterans either directly at a VA medical facility or by reimbursing veterans for classes at other facilities (Sec. 2(a))
- A veteran must be enrolled in the VA health care system established under section 1705(a) to be eligible (Sec. 2(a))
- A veteran must have been diagnosed with a covered movement disorder and must choose to participate in these classes to treat that disorder (Sec. 2(a))
- "Covered movement disorder" means Parkinson's disease or a similar movement disorder (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
The Veterans Affairs system will add boxing-based exercise classes as a covered medical service for eligible veterans with movement disorders. This creates a new requirement for the VA to furnish or reimburse these classes.
Important Definitions
- Covered movement disorder: Parkinson's disease or a similar movement disorder
Effective Date
180 days after the date this bill becomes law
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1402
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to provide coverage for boxing-based exercise classes for veterans
diagnosed with certain movement disorders, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 7, 2023
Mr. HIGGINS of New York (for himself and Mr. LAHOOD) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to provide coverage for boxing-
based exercise classes for veterans diagnosed with certain
movement disorders, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Boxing Therapy for
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Parkinson’s Access Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 1402 IH
SEC. 2. BOXING-BASED EXERCISE CLASSES FOR TREAT-
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MENT OF VETERANS DIAGNOSED WITH CER-
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TAIN MOVEMENT DISORDERS.
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(a) COVERAGE.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title
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38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
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the following new section (and conforming the table of sec-
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tions at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
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‘‘§ 1720K. Boxing-based exercise classes for treatment
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of certain movement disorders
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‘‘(a) CLASSES.—In furnishing medical services under
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this chapter, the Secretary shall furnish boxing-based ex-
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ercise classes to a veteran (through the provision of such
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classes to the veteran at a medical facility of the Depart-
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ment or the reimbursement for such classes provided to
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the veteran at a non-Department facility) if the veteran—
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‘‘(1) is enrolled in the health care system estab-
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lished under section 1705(a) of this title;
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‘‘(2) has been diagnosed with a covered move-
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ment disorder; and
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‘‘(3) elects to participate in such classes for the
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purpose of treating the covered movement disorder
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with which the veteran has been diagnosed.
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‘‘(b) COVERED MOVEMENT DISORDER DEFINED.—
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In this section, the term ‘covered movement disorder’
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means Parkinson’s disease or a similar movement dis-
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order.’’.
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•HR 1402 IH
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub-
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section (a) shall apply with respect to medical services fur-
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nished on or after the date that is 180 days after the date
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of the enactment of this Act.
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Æ
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