Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act
What changed between versions
The electronic scheduling process now covers appointments for health care furnished by the Department (VA providers) in addition to Veterans Community Care Program appointments, rather than being limited to community care only.
A new Expansion section requires the Secretary to submit a plan within 90 days to integrate scheduling of VA-provided appointments into the electronic process, including a timeline, estimated costs, and necessary policy changes.
The seven-year sunset provision that would have terminated the program was removed, making the electronic scheduling system permanent.
A new Implementation section requires the Secretary to establish guidelines within 90 days (including procedures, timeliness and accuracy standards, escalation protocols for scheduling failures), implement mandatory training within 180 days, prescribe performance benchmarks within 60 days (referral-to-appointment time, patient satisfaction, percentage scheduled electronically), and carry out an outreach strategy within 90 days that includes contacting each non-Department provider and collaborating with state hospital and rural health associations.
The implementation deadline was changed from one year after enactment (in the original) to two years after enactment for the full electronic process.
Congressional reporting requirements were expanded to include disaggregation by category of hospital care or medical services and by medical center, comparison of average wait times between electronic and non-electronic methods, appointment cancellation rates, and no-show rates. Reports are now due semiannually for three years rather than every six months for five years.
An unrelated provision extends the limit on payment of pension under section 5503(d)(7) of title 38 from January 31, 2033 to May 31, 2033.
