I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3812

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a demonstration 

project on priorities in the scheduling of appointments of veterans for 

health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2004

Mr. POMEROY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a demonstration project on priorities in the scheduling 

of appointments of veterans for health care through 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. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON PRIORITIES IN 

4 SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS OF VET5 ERANS FOR HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE 

6 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) PROJECT REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Veterans 

8 Affairs shall carry out a demonstration project to assess 
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1 the feasibility and advisability of providing for priorities 

2 in the scheduling of appointments of veterans for health 

3 care through the Department of Veterans Affairs in ac4 cordance with the following: 

5 (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs Wait6 ing Time for Appointments goals (30–30–20) of 

7 2000. 

8 (2) The provisions of the Veterans Health Ad9 ministration directive entitled ‘‘Priority For Out10 patient Medical Services and Inpatient Hospital 

11 Care’’ (VHA Directive 2002–059). 

12 (3) The provisions of the Veterans Health Ad13 ministration directive entitled ‘‘Priority Scheduling 

14 for Outpatient Medical Services and Inpatient Hos15 pital Care for Service Connected Veterans’’ (VHA 

16 Directive 2003–062), dated October 23, 2003. 

17 (b) PERIOD OF PROJECT.—The Secretary shall carry 

18 out the demonstration project under subsection (a) during 

19 the two-year period beginning on October 1, 2004. 

20 (c) LOCATIONS OF PROJECT.—(1) The Secretary 

21 shall carry out the demonstration project under subsection 

22 (a) throughout each of three Veterans Integrated Service 

23 Networks (VISNs) selected by the Secretary for purposes 

24 of the project. 
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1 (2) In selecting Veterans Integrated Service Net2 works under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 

3 that the demonstration project is carried out in an urban 

4 area, a rural area, and a highly rural area. 

5 (d) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORITIES.—

6 (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), in car7 rying out the demonstration project under subsection (a) 

8 the Secretary shall schedule appointments for veterans for 

9 outpatient medical services and inpatient hospital care 

10 through the Department in accordance with the goals and 

11 directives referred to in subsection (a). 

12 (2) The veterans covered by the demonstration 

13 project shall include any veteran residing in a Veterans 

14 Integrated Service Network covered by the project, wheth15 er a new or current enrollee with the Department, and 

16 including veterans with service-connected disabilities and 

17 veterans with non-service-connected disabilities. 

18 (3) The Secretary shall schedule each appointment 

19 under the demonstration project in a Department facility 

20 unless, as determined by the Secretary—

21 (A) the cost of scheduling the appointment in 

22 a Department facility exceeds the cost of scheduling 

23 the appointment in a non-Department facility to an 

24 unreasonable degree; or 
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1 (B) the scheduling of the appointment in a non2 Department facility is required for medical or other 

3 reasons. 

4 (4) In carrying out the demonstration project, the 

5 Secretary may utilize the Preferred Pricing Program 

6 (PPP) of the Department, or similar programs or authori7 ties, in the locations covered by the project. 

8 (5) In this subsection, the terms ‘‘Department facil9 ity’’ and ‘‘non-Department facility’’ have the meaning 

10 given those terms in section 1701 of title 38, United 

11 States Code. 

12 SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON WAITING TIMES FOR APPOINT13 MENTS FOR CARE AND SERVICES. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 31 each 

15 year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 

16 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

17 House of Representatives a report on the waiting times 

18 of veterans for appointments for health care and services 

19 from the Department during the preceding year. 

20 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—Each report under 

21 subsection (a) shall specify, for the year covered by the 

22 report, the following: 

23 (1) A tabulation of the waiting time of veterans 

24 for appointments with the Department for each cat25 egory of primary or specialty care or services fur-
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1 nished by the Department, displayed by particular 

2 Department facility and by Veterans Integrated 

3 Service Network. 

4 (2) An identification of the categories of spe5 cialty care or services for which there are lengthy 

6 delays for appointments at particular Department 

7 facilities or throughout particular Veterans Inte8 grated Service Networks, and, for each category so 

9 identified, recommendations for the reallocation of 

10 personnel, financial, and other resources to address 

11 such delays. 

12 (c) REPORT ON DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—The 

13 report under subsection (a) for 2006 (to be submitted not 

14 later than January 31, 2007) shall include information on 

15 the demonstration project carried out under section 1. 

16 That information shall include—

17 (1) a description of the conduct of the project, 

18 including the Veterans Integrated Service Networks 

19 selected for the project, the number of veterans cov20 ered by the project, the number and timeliness of 

21 appointments scheduled under the project, and the 

22 costs of carrying out the project; 

23 (2) an assessment of the feasibility and advis24 ability of implementing the project nationwide; and 
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1 (3) such other information with respect to the 

2 project as the Secretary considers appropriate.

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