Summary
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a clear rule for how long veterans should wait for medical appointments and to report on its performance.
What problem does this solve?
There is no single, clear standard for how long a veteran should wait for a medical appointment after a referral, making it difficult to measure and improve service. This bill creates a uniform standard and requires public reports that rank each VA facility, creating transparency and pressure to improve.
Who does this affect?
- Veterans
- Department of Veterans Affairs employees
- Community healthcare providers
What does this bill do?
Establishes a new VA appointment time standard
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a single, comprehensive standard for the time between a veteran's referral for care and their actual appointment date.
Requires public reporting on wait times
Mandates that the VA submit quarterly reports to Congress showing how many appointments meet the new time standard. These reports must be made available to the public online.
Ranks VA medical centers by performance
The quarterly reports must include a list of all VA medical centers, ranked from best to worst, based on how well they meet the appointment time standard.
Details specific data for reports
Reports must break down data by each VA facility, by the most in-demand types of care like mental health or cardiology, and by state.
Requires publication of the standard
The VA must publish the new wait time standard in the Federal Register and on its website at least 30 days before it takes effect.
What is the real world impact?
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Improves transparency in veteran healthcare
Requires the VA to publish its wait time standards and report quarterly on how well it's meeting them. This makes it easier for the public and Congress to see if veterans are getting timely care.
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Creates accountability for VA medical centers
By ranking medical centers from best to worst on meeting appointment standards, the bill puts pressure on underperforming facilities to improve their scheduling processes and reduce wait times for veterans.
When does this start?
The requirements of this bill will take effect once it is signed into law, with several specific deadlines for reports and publications.
Publication of the standard
The VA Secretary must publish the new standard in the Federal Register and online at least 30 days before it is established or modified.
Quarterly reports to congress
The Secretary must submit reports to Congress on wait time performance at least once every three months.
Annual data aggregation
At least once a year, the report must include data for the entire preceding year and a plan for improving wait times.