VA Community Care Wait Time Transparency Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8412
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2020-09-29
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Government information and archives

Health care coverage and access

Health information and medical records

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>VA Community Care Wait Time Transparency Act of 2020</b></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8412 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the VA Community Care Wait Time Transparency Act of 2020 . 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. 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.