II

106TH CONGRESS

2ND SESSION S. 2007

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve procedures relating to

the scheduling of appointments for certain non-emergency medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 26, 2000

Mr. CONRAD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve procedures relating to the scheduling of appointments for certain non-emergency medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. IMPROVEMENT OF PROCEDURES RELATING TO

4 SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS FOR CER5 TAIN NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Subchapter I of chapter 17

7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting

8 after section 1706 the following new section:
2

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1 ‘‘§ 1706A. Management of health care: appointments

2 for certain non-emergency medical serv3 ices

4 ‘‘(a) The Secretary shall establish a priority in the

5 scheduling of appointments for non-emergency medical

6 services furnished by the Secretary through medical spe7 cialists for veterans with service-connected disabilities.

8 ‘‘(b) If the scheduled date of an appointment of a

9 veteran with a service-connected disability for non-emer10 gency medical services to be furnished by the Secretary

11 through a medical specialist is more than three weeks later

12 than the date the appointment is made, the Secretary

13 shall—

14 ‘‘(1) provide for the immediate review of the ap15 pointment; and

16 ‘‘(2) furnish the medical services covered by the

17 appointment to the veteran at an earlier date than

18 the scheduled date of the appointment—

19 ‘‘(A) through a Department medical spe20 cialist at another Department facility; or

21 ‘‘(B) through a non-Department medical

22 specialist located in the area in which the vet23 eran resides.’’.

24 (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter

25 17 of that title is amended by inserting after the item re26 lating to section 1706 the following new item:
3

•S 2007 IS

‘‘1706A. Management of health care: appointments for certain non-emergency

medical services.’’.

1 (b) ANNUAL REPORT ON SHORTAGES IN MEDICAL

2 SPECIALTY PERSONNEL.—(1) Not later than January 31

3 each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit

4 to Congress a report on any shortages in medical specialty

5 personnel in the Veterans Health Administration during

6 the preceding year.

7 (2) The report under paragraph (1) for a year shall—

8 (A) set forth the average waiting period during

9 the year for veterans with service-connected disabil10 ities for various types of non-emergency medical

11 services furnished by medical specialty personnel at

12 each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center;

13 (B) set forth any shortages in medical specialty

14 personnel identified by the Secretary during the

15 year; and

16 (C) include the recommendations of the Sec17 retary for means of addressing such shortages, in18 cluding recommendations, if appropriate, for special

19 pays, adjustments in pay, or other modifications of

20 pay authority necessary to recruit or retain appro21 priate medical specialty personnel.

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