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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON PRIORITIES IN 
SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS OF VET-
ERANS FOR HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) PROJECT REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a demonstration project to assess
the feasibility and advisability of providing for priorities 
in the scheduling of appointments of veterans for health 
care through the Department of Veterans Affairs in ac-
cordance with the following: 
(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs Wait-
ing Time for Appointments goals (30–30–20) of 
2000. 
(2) The provisions of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration directive entitled ‘‘Priority For Out-
patient Medical Services and Inpatient Hospital 
Care’’ (VHA Directive 2002–059). 
(3) The provisions of the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration directive entitled ‘‘Priority Scheduling 
for Outpatient Medical Services and Inpatient Hos-
pital Care for Service Connected Veterans’’ (VHA 
Directive 2003–062), dated October 23, 2003. 
(b) PERIOD OF PROJECT.—The Secretary shall carry 
out the demonstration project under subsection (a) during 
the two-year period beginning on October 1, 2004. 
(c) LOCATIONS
OF PROJECT.—(1) The Secretary 
shall carry out the demonstration project under subsection 
(a) throughout each of three Veterans Integrated Service 
Networks (VISNs) selected by the Secretary for purposes 
of the project.
(2) In selecting Veterans Integrated Service Net-
works under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 
that the demonstration project is carried out in an urban 
area, a rural area, and a highly rural area. 
(d) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORITIES.—
(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), in car-
rying out the demonstration project under subsection (a) 
the Secretary shall schedule appointments for veterans for 
outpatient medical services and inpatient hospital care 
through the Department in accordance with the goals and 
directives referred to in subsection (a). 
(2) The veterans covered by the demonstration 
project shall include any veteran residing in a Veterans 
Integrated Service Network covered by the project, wheth-
er a new or current enrollee with the Department, and 
including veterans with service-connected disabilities and 
veterans with non-service-connected disabilities. 
(3) The Secretary shall schedule each appointment 
under the demonstration project in a Department facility 
unless, as determined by the Secretary—
(A) the cost of scheduling the appointment in 
a Department facility exceeds the cost of scheduling 
the appointment in a non-Department facility to an 
unreasonable degree; or
(B) the scheduling of the appointment in a non-
Department facility is required for medical or other 
reasons. 
(4) In carrying out the demonstration project, the 
Secretary may utilize the Preferred Pricing Program 
(PPP) of the Department, or similar programs or authori-
ties, in the locations covered by the project. 
(5) In this subsection, the terms ‘‘Department facil-
ity’’ and ‘‘non-Department facility’’ have the meaning 
given those terms in section 1701 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON WAITING TIMES FOR APPOINT-
MENTS FOR CARE AND SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 31 each 
year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report on the waiting times 
of veterans for appointments for health care and services 
from the Department during the preceding year. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—Each report under 
subsection (a) shall specify, for the year covered by the 
report, the following: 
(1) A tabulation of the waiting time of veterans 
for appointments with the Department for each cat-
egory of primary or specialty care or services fur-
nished by the Department, displayed by particular 
Department facility and by Veterans Integrated 
Service Network. 
(2) An identification of the categories of spe-
cialty care or services for which there are lengthy 
delays for appointments at particular Department 
facilities or throughout particular Veterans Inte-
grated Service Networks, and, for each category so 
identified, recommendations for the reallocation of 
personnel, financial, and other resources to address 
such delays. 
(c) REPORT
ON DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—The 
report under subsection (a) for 2006 (to be submitted not 
later than January 31, 2007) shall include information on 
the demonstration project carried out under section 1. 
That information shall include—
(1) a description of the conduct of the project, 
including the Veterans Integrated Service Networks 
selected for the project, the number of veterans cov-
ered by the project, the number and timeliness of 
appointments scheduled under the project, and the 
costs of carrying out the project; 
(2) an assessment of the feasibility and advis-
ability of implementing the project nationwide; and
(3) such other information with respect to the 
project as the Secretary considers appropriate.
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