VA Quality Health Care Accountability and Transparency Act

Bill: 116-hr-5786
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
Introduced: 2020-02-06
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Accounting and auditing

Congressional oversight

Department of Veterans Affairs

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Health care coverage and access

Health care quality

Health facilities and institutions

Health information and medical records

Health personnel

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Public contracts and procurement

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2020-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-02-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>VA Quality Health Care Accountability and Transparency Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make certain staffing and quality of care data publicly available on a specified VA website. Among other elements, the information published on the website should include statistics related to patient wait times, effectiveness of care, and staffing and vacancy information.</p> <p>The website must be (1) directly accessible from the main VA website and the main websites of each VA medical center, and (2) understandable and usable by the general public.</p> <p>The VA must implement a self-auditing process to assess the accuracy and completeness of the data available on the website and must enter an agreement for the Inspector General of the VA (or other entity) to validate the audits. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office shall review the website to assess the VA's compliance and to provide recommendations on how to improve the website.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5786 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 6, 2020 Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Joyce of Ohio , Mr. Lamb , Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania , Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio , and Mr. Timmons ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain information publicly available on one internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the VA Quality Health Care Accountability and Transparency Act . 2. Improved transparency by Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Publication of staffing and quality of care data Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make publicly available on the Access to Care internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs (or a successor website) the information under subsection (b). (b) Information included (1) In general The information published on the internet website under subsection (a) shall include— (A) any numeric indicators relating to timely care, effective care, safety, and veteran-centered care that the Secretary collects at medical facilities of the Department pursuant to section 1703C of title 38, United States Code; (B) the staffing and vacancy information required by subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 505(a)(1) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–182 ; 38 U.S.C. 301 note); (C) the patient wait times information required by subsection (a) of section 206 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 ; 128 Stat. 1780); and (D) the patient safety, quality of care, and outcome measures required by subsection (b) of such section. (2) Updates The Secretary shall regularly update the internet website under subsection (a) to ensure that the information under paragraph (1) is the most current information required by the provisions of law specified in such paragraph. (c) Requirements of internet website In addition to the requirements of section 206(b)(4) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 ; 128 Stat. 1781), the Secretary shall ensure that the internet website under subsection (a) meets the following requirements: (1) The internet website is directly accessible from— (A) the main homepage of the publicly accessible internet website of the Department; and (B) the main homepage of the publicly accessible internet website of each medical center of the Department. (2) Where practicable, the internet website is organized and searchable by each medical center of the Department. (3) The internet website is easily understandable and usable by the general public. (d) Consultation and contract authority In carrying out subsection (c)(3), the Secretary— (1) shall consult with veterans service organizations; and (2) may enter into a contract to design the internet website under subsection (a) with a company, non-profit entity, or other entity, specializing in website design that has substantial experience in presenting health care data and information in a easily understandable and usable manner to patients and consumers. (e) Accuracy of data (1) Annual process Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and implement an annual process to audit a generalizable subset of the data contained in the internet website under subsection (a) to assess the accuracy and completeness of the data. (2) Criteria The Secretary shall ensure that each audit under subsection (a)— (A) determines the extent that the medical record information, clinical information, data, and documentation provided by each medical center of the Department that is used to calculate the information under subsection (b) is accurate and complete; (B) identifies any deficiencies in the recording of medical record information, clinical information, or data by medical centers of the Department that affects the accuracy and completeness of the information under subsection (b); and (C) provides recommendations to medical centers of the Department on how to— (i) improve the accuracy and completeness of the medical record information, clinical information, data, and documentation that is used to calculate the information under subsection (b); and (ii) ensure that each medical center of the Department provides such information in a uniform manner. (3) Independent validation The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the Inspector General of the Department, or an entity other than the Department selected by the Secretary, to validate each audit under subsection (a). (4) Annual reports Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of each audit under paragraph (1), including the independent validation of the audit conducted under paragraph (3). (f) Comptroller General review Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of the internet website under subsection (a) to assess the degree to which the Secretary is complying with this section and to provide recommendations to the Secretary on how to improve the internet website.