I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 241 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish standards of access 

to care for veterans seeking health care from Department of Veterans 

Affairs medical facilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2013 

Mr. ROSS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 

standards of access to care for veterans seeking health 

care from Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Timely Ac5 cess to Health Care Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACCESS TO 

2 MEDICAL CARE. 

3 (a) STANDARD FOR ACCESS TO CARE.—Section 1706 

4 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 

5 the end the following new subsection: 

6 ‘‘(d)(1) In managing the provision of hospital care 

7 and medical services under section 1710(a) of this title, 

8 the Secretary shall ensure that for each veteran seeking 

9 such care or services from a Department medical facility, 

10 the standard for access to care, determined from the date 

11 on which the veteran contacts the Department seeking an 

12 appointment until the date on which a visit with an appro13 priate health care provider is completed, is 30 days. 

14 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall periodically review the per15 formance of Department medical facilities compared to the 

16 standard established under paragraph (1). The Secretary 

17 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

18 the Senate and House of Representatives a semi-annual 

19 report providing an assessment of the Department’s per20 formance in meeting that standard. 

21 ‘‘(3)(A) Not later than 60 days after the end of a 

22 calendar-year quarter, the Secretary shall submit to the 

23 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House 

24 of Representatives a report for that calendar-year quarter 

25 on the experience of the Department during the quarter 

26 covered by the report with respect to waiting times for 


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1 veterans seeking appointments at Department medical fa2 cilities. 

3 ‘‘(B) Each report under subparagraph (A) shall in4 clude each of the following: 

5 ‘‘(i) The total number of veterans waiting by 

6 the following categories: 

7 ‘‘(I) Those waiting under 30 days for 

8 scheduled appointments. 

9 ‘‘(II) Those waiting over 30 days but less 

10 than 60 days. 

11 ‘‘(III) Those waiting over 60 days but less 

12 than 4 months. 

13 ‘‘(IV) Those waiting over 4 months but 

14 who cannot be scheduled within 6 months. 

15 ‘‘(V) Any remaining veterans who cannot 

16 be scheduled, with the reasons therefor. 

17 ‘‘(ii) For each category set forth in subpara18 graph (A), distinctions between— 

19 ‘‘(I) waiting times for primary care and 

20 specialty care; and 

21 ‘‘(II) waiting times for veterans who are 

22 newly enrolled versus those who were enrolled 

23 before October 1, 2001. 

24 ‘‘(iii) The number of veterans who have enrolled 

25 in the patient enrollment system under section 1705 


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1 of this title but have not since such enrollment 

2 sought care at a Department medical facility.’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (d) of section 

4 1706 of title 38, United States Code, shall apply with re5 spect to hospital care and medical services provided on or 

6 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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