Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act

Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the standard for access to care for a veteran seeking hospital care and medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is 30 days from the date the veteran contacts the VA.

Directs the Secretary to periodically review the performance of VA medical facilities in meeting such standard.

Requires quarterly reports from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees on the VA's experience with respect to appointment waiting times.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 241 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 241

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish standards of 
  access to care for veterans seeking health care from Department of 
      Veterans Affairs medical facilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 14, 2013

   Mr. Ross introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish standards of 
  access to care for veterans seeking health care from Department of 
      Veterans Affairs medical facilities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Timely Access to Health 
Care Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE.

    (a) Standard for Access to Care.--Section 1706 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(d)(1) In managing the provision of hospital care and medical 
services under section 1710(a) of this title, the Secretary shall 
ensure that for each veteran seeking such care or services from a 
Department medical facility, the standard for access to care, 
determined from the date on which the veteran contacts the Department 
seeking an appointment until the date on which a visit with an 
appropriate health care provider is completed, is 30 days.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall periodically review the performance of 
Department medical facilities compared to the standard established 
under paragraph (1). The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a semi-
annual report providing an assessment of the Department's performance 
in meeting that standard.
    ``(3)(A) Not later than 60 days after the end of a calendar-year 
quarter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report for that 
calendar-year quarter on the experience of the Department during the 
quarter covered by the report with respect to waiting times for 
veterans seeking appointments at Department medical facilities.
    ``(B) Each report under subparagraph (A) shall include each of the 
following:
            ``(i) The total number of veterans waiting by the following 
        categories:
                    ``(I) Those waiting under 30 days for scheduled 
                appointments.
                    ``(II) Those waiting over 30 days but less than 60 
                days.
                    ``(III) Those waiting over 60 days but less than 4 
                months.
                    ``(IV) Those waiting over 4 months but who cannot 
                be scheduled within 6 months.
                    ``(V) Any remaining veterans who cannot be 
                scheduled, with the reasons therefor.
            ``(ii) For each category set forth in subparagraph (A), 
        distinctions between--
                    ``(I) waiting times for primary care and specialty 
                care; and
                    ``(II) waiting times for veterans who are newly 
                enrolled versus those who were enrolled before October 
                1, 2001.
            ``(iii) The number of veterans who have enrolled in the 
        patient enrollment system under section 1705 of this title but 
        have not since such enrollment sought care at a Department 
        medical facility.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (d) of section 1706 of title 38, 
United States Code, shall apply with respect to hospital care and 
medical services provided on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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