Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017

To amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include in the Veterans Choice Program all veterans enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017 2. Expansion of Veterans Choice Program to include all enrolled veterans Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 38 U.S.C. 1701 (1) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) the veteran elects to receive hospital care or medical services under this section. ; (2) in subsection (c)(1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking In the case of an eligible veteran described in subsection (b)(2)(A), the Secretary shall, at the election of the eligible veteran The Secretary shall, at the election of an eligible veteran (B) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking provide the veteran provide the eligible veteran (ii) by striking described in such subsection of the Veterans Health Administration (3) in subsection (g), by striking paragraph (3); and (4) in subsection (q)(2)(A), by striking , disaggregated by subsection (b)(2)(D) 3. Pilot program on expediting the Department of Veterans Affairs process for onboarding new medical providers (a) Pilot program authorized The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of expediting the process of the Veterans Health Administration for onboarding new medical providers. Under the pilot program, the Secretary shall seek to reduce the length of time it takes to onboard medical providers to no more than 60 days. (b) Locations The Secretary shall select medical facilities at which to carry out the pilot program. In selecting such facilities, the Secretary shall give priority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of licensed independent medical providers. (c) Onboarding process defined In this section, the term onboarding process 4. Strategy to reduce duration of hiring process of Department of Veterans Affairs for licensed professional medical providers Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a strategy to reduce the duration of the hiring process of the Department of Veterans Affairs for licensed professional medical providers by half. Such strategy shall describe how the overall certification of credentials process for licensed professional medical providers can be expedited. 5. Improving accountability within Veterans Health Administration by requiring reporting of major adverse actions taken to national practitioner data bank and State licensing boards Section 7461 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (f) Whenever the Under Secretary for Health (or an official designated by the Under Secretary) brings charges based on conduct or performance against a section 7401(1) employee and as a result of those charges a major adverse action is taken against the employee, the Under Secretary shall, not later than 30 days after the date on which such major adverse action is carried out, transmit to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the applicable State licensing board the name of the employee, a description of the major adverse action, and a description of the reason for the major adverse action. .

Summary: Veterans Improved Access and Care Act of 2017 This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to provide access to hospital care and medical services in non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities for all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. (Currently, such access is based upon appointment wait times and distance from, or existence of, VA facilities.) The VA shall: (1) establish a pilot program to expedite the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) process for bringing on a medical provider after such person is offered a tentative VHA position (onboarding), (2) give priority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of licensed independent medical providers, and (3) submit to Congress a strategy for reducing the length of the medical provider hiring process by half. The bill requires that certain personal information be transmitted to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the applicable state licensing board whenever a major adverse action based upon performance or conduct is taken against certain VHA health care employees.