able to identify areas that need improvement and 
therefore cannot mitigate problems that contribute 
to wait times. 
(6) The Comptroller General found that the un-
reliable data and measures for wait times create a 
discrepancy between the positive results the Depart-
ment publishes and what veterans actually experi-
ence. 
(7) The Comptroller General found that the 
Veterans Health Administration inconsistently im-
plements its scheduling policy across medical centers 
of the Department, which impedes scheduling timely 
medical appointments. 
(8) The Comptroller General found that over-
sight of compliance with such scheduling policy, such 
as ensuring the completion of required scheduler 
training, was inconsistent across facilities. 
(9) The Comptroller General found that the 
management by the Secretary of telephone service, 
including lack of staff dedicated to answering phones 
and unreturned phone calls, impede veterans’ access 
to timely medical appointments. 
(10) Among the four medical centers of the De-
partment reviewed by the Comptroller General, pa-
tient complaints regarding unreturned phone calls 
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ranked among the top two categories of complaints 
during fiscal year 2012. 
(11) The Comptroller General found that in 
January 2012, the Veterans Health Administration 
distributed best practices for telephone access that, 
if implemented, could help improve telephone access 
to clinical care. 
(12) The Secretary is not meeting the statutory 
obligations of the Secretary to provide veterans with 
timely access to medical appointments so that such 
veterans can receive benefits and health care by the 
Department in a timely manner. 
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF MEDICAL APPOINTMENT SCHED-
ULING POLICY FOR VETERANS. 
(a) STANDARDIZED SCHEDULING POLICY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall implement a stand-
ardized policy to ensure that a veteran enrolled in 
the health care system established under section 
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, is able to 
schedule— 
(A) primary care medical appointments 
within seven days of the date requested by the 
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veteran or the health care provider on behalf of 
the veteran; and 
(B) specialty care medical appointments 
within 14 days of the date requested by the vet-
eran or the health care provider on behalf of 
the veteran. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—In implementing the 
policy under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(A) ensure that such policy— 
(i) will not be subject to interpretation 
or prone to scheduler error; and 
(ii) provides the Secretary with reli-
able data regarding the length of time that 
veterans are waiting for appointments de-
scribed in paragraph (1) that the Secretary 
can use to accurately report the perform-
ance of the policy as compared to the goals 
of the policy; 
(B) ensure that the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration carries out uniform procedures 
with respect to such policy; 
(C) issue detailed guidance to the directors 
of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks to 
ensure the consistent implementation of such 
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policy at each medical center and other related 
facilities of the Department; 
(D) ensure that only employees of the De-
partment who have completed required training 
are allowed to schedule medical appointments; 
and 
(E) make public annual performance re-
ports for each Veterans Integrated Service Net-
work with respect to such policy. 
(b) RESOURCE ALLOCATION.— 
(1) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each 
180-day period thereafter, the Secretary shall assess 
the resources of each Veterans Integrated Service 
Network to determine the ability of the Network to 
meet the scheduling requirements described in sub-
section (a)(1). 
(2) ALLOCATION.—The Secretary may repro-
gram funds and allocate or transfer staff and other 
resources within the Veterans Health Administration 
and the Veterans Integrated Service Network to en-
sure that each Network meets the scheduling re-
quirements described in subsection (a)(1). 
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(3) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall notify 
Congress of any reprogramming made pursuant to 
paragraph (2). 
(c) PHONE ACCESS.—The Secretary shall direct each 
medical center of the Department to provide oversight of 
telephone access and implement the best practices outlined 
in the telephone systems improvement guide of the Vet-
erans Health Administration, including, at a minimum, 
practices to ensure that— 
(1) calls are answered in a timely manner and 
the messages of patients will have a return call not 
later than 24 hours after the patient leaves the mes-
sage; and 
(2) a call center at each such medical center is 
properly staffed to meet the needs of the veteran 
population served by the medical center. 
(d) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT.—The Inspector 
General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in con-
sultation with veterans service organizations, shall submit 
to Congress an annual report on the progress of the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs in implementing this Act. Each 
such report shall include, for the time period covered by 
the report, each of the following: 
(1) An assessment of the reliability of data re-
garding the wait times for appointments described in 
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