A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · September 12, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
This bill establishes a new External Provider Scheduling Program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve how appointments are booked for veterans receiving care through the Veterans Community Care Program. The program would use technology that allows VA schedulers to view and access real-time schedules of community healthcare providers, enabling them to schedule veteran appointments more efficiently without delays. The VA must implement this program across all its medical centers by September 30, 2025, either by using an existing VA contract or entering a new one. The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit annual reports through 2028 documenting the program's progress in reducing the time between when veterans are referred to community providers and when their appointments are actually scheduled. The goal is to significantly cut wait times for both veterans seeking appointments and VA staff responsible for scheduling them.
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