Title: VA Community Care Wait Time Transparency Act of 2020
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Community Care Wait Time Transparency Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a goal for the maximum number of days between the date on which a veteran requests an appointment for medical care and the date on which the appointment occurs. Such a goal shall apply to medical care furnished by the VA via non-VA and VA providers for both new and returning patients.
The VA must publish on a public website the average wait times for new and returning patients seeking care under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) and the percentage of appointments for care under the VCCP that occur within the number of days specified for the wait time access standard.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8412 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8412

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish goals for the 
  timely delivery of medical care and appointments, to make publicly 
available certain information regarding wait times under the community 
   care program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2020

  Ms. Brownley of California introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish goals for the 
  timely delivery of medical care and appointments, to make publicly 
available certain information regarding wait times under the community 
   care program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Community Care Wait Time 
Transparency Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GOAL FOR TIMELY DELIVERY OF 
              APPOINTMENTS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a goal for the 
maximum number of calendar days between the date on which a veteran 
requests an appointment for medical care and the date on which such 
appointment occurs. Such goal shall be the equivalent of the wait time 
access standard in effect under section 1703B of title 38, United 
States Code, and shall apply--
            (1) to medical care furnished by Department of Veterans 
        Affairs providers and medical care furnished by the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs through a non-Department provider; and
            (2) with respect to veterans who are considered new 
        patients and veterans who are considered returning patients.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TRANSPARENCY REGARDING WAIT 
              TIMES UNDER COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM.

    (a) Publication of Data.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make 
publicly available on an appropriate website of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs the following information:
            (1) The average wait times for new and returning patients 
        seeking care under the community care program of the 
        Department, determined using the same metrics used to determine 
        the published average wait times for care furnished directly by 
        Department medical facilities.
            (2) The percentage of appointments for care under the 
        community care program that occur within the number of days 
        specified for the wait time access standard applicable to 
        Department of Veterans Affairs providers, as in effect under 
        section 1703B of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Presentation of Data.--Data made available under subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) be presented in a searchable format, by zip code and by 
        medical specialty; and
            (2) be presented alongside comparable data for all 
        Department medical centers and all medical specialties.
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