Ensuring Quality Care for our Veterans Act

Bill: 115-s-3501
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2018-09-26
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Government studies and investigations

Health care quality

Health personnel

Hospital care

Licensing and registrations

Public contracts and procurement

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2018-09-26
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-09-26
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Ensuring Quality Care for our Veterans Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with a nonfederal organization to conduct a quality management review of hospital care or medical services furnished by each Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provider whose license was terminated by a state licensing board based upon care or services provided in a non-VHA facility. </p> <p>If a review determines that the standard of care was not met, the VA shall notify the individual who received such care or services.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3501 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 26, 2018 Mrs. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Grassley , Mr. Boozman , and Mr. Hatch ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a contract or other agreement with a third party to review appointees in the Veterans Health Administration who had a license terminated for cause by a State licensing board for care or services rendered at a non-Veterans Heath Administration facility and providing individuals treated by such an appointee with notice if it is determined that an episode of care or services to which they received was below the standard of care, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Quality Care for our Veterans Act . 2. Third-party review of appointees in Veterans Health Administration who had a license terminated for cause and notice to individuals treated by those appointees if determined that an episode of care or services to which they received was below the standard of care (a) Third-party review (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract or other agreement with an organization that is not part of the Federal Government to conduct a clinical review for quality management of hospital care or medical services furnished by covered providers. (2) Qualifications The Secretary shall ensure that each review of a covered provider under this subsection is performed by an individual who is licensed in the same specialty as the covered provider. (b) Notice to patients treated by covered providers With respect to hospital care or medical services furnished by a covered provider under the laws administered by the Secretary, if a clinical review for quality management under subsection (a) determines that the standard of care was not met during an episode of care, the Secretary shall notify the individual who received such care or services from the covered provider as described in applicable policy of the Veterans Heath Administration. (c) Covered provider For purposes of this section, a covered provider is an individual who— (1) was appointed to the Veterans Health Administration under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code; and (2) had a license terminated for cause by a State licensing board for hospital care or medical services provided in a facility that is not a facility of the Veterans Health Administration. (d) Hospital care or medical services defined In this section, the terms hospital care and medical services have the meanings given those terms in section 1701 of title 38, United States Code.