The SERVE Act directs the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to develop action plans that improve veteran access to care by expanding coordination between military medical facilities and VA hospitals. These plans would allow military and VA medical providers to share resources, cross-credential staff to work at both facilities, streamline patient referrals and medical records sharing, and increase use of military hospitals that have excess capacity. The legislation applies to military medical treatment facilities and VA medical centers and affects enrolled veterans seeking care. The two departments must submit their action plans to Congress within 30 days of completion and then provide annual briefings on implementation progress, patient numbers served, costs incurred, and any safety incidents through September 2028, when the program expires. The bill includes strict patient safety protections, including a confidential complaint process, quarterly reviews of adverse events, and automatic referrals to the Inspector General for allegations of abuse or misconduct.
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