Sec. 101. Independent assessment of the scheduling of appointments and other health care management processes of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract with an independent third party to assess the following: The process at each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for scheduling appointments for veterans to receive hospital care, medical services, or other health care from the Department. The staffing level and productivity of each medical facility of the Department, including the following:
The case load of each health care provider of the Department. The time spent by each health care provider of the Department on matters other than the case load of such health care provider, including time spent by such health care provider as follows: At a medical facility that is affiliated with the Department. Conducting research. Training or overseeing other health care professionals of the Department. The organization, processes, and tools used by the Department to support clinical documentation and the subsequent coding of inpatient services.
The purchasing, distribution, and use of pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, and medical devices by the Department, including the following: The prices paid for, standardization of, and use by the Department of the following: High-cost pharmaceuticals. Medical and surgical supplies. Medical devices. The use by the Department of group purchasing arrangements to purchase pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices, and health care related services.
The strategy used by the Department to distribute pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, and medical devices to Veterans Integrated Service Networks and medical facilities of the Department. The performance of the Department in paying amounts owed to third parties and collecting amounts owed to the Department with respect to hospital care, medical services, and other health care, including any recommendations of the independent third party as follows: To avoid the payment of penalties to vendors.
To increase the collection of amounts owed to the Department for hospital care, medical services, or other health care provided by the Department for which reimbursement from a third party is authorized. To increase the collection of any other amounts owed to the Department. In carrying out the assessment required by paragraph (1)(A), the independent third party shall do the following: Review all training materials pertaining to scheduling of appointments at each medical facility of the Department.
Assess whether all employees of the Department conducting tasks related to scheduling are properly trained for conducting such tasks. Assess whether changes in the technology or system used in scheduling appointments are necessary to limit access to the system to only those employees that have been properly trained in conducting such tasks. Assess whether health care providers of the Department are making changes to their schedules that hinder the ability of employees conducting such tasks to perform such tasks.
Assess whether the establishment of a centralized call center throughout the Department for scheduling appointments at medical facilities of the Department would improve the process of scheduling such appointments. Assess whether booking templates for each medical facility or clinic of the Department would improve the process of scheduling such appointments. Recommend any actions to be taken by the Department to improve the process for scheduling such appointments, including the following:
Changes in training materials provided to employees of the Department with respect to conducting tasks related to scheduling such appointments. Changes in monitoring and assessment conducted by the Department of wait times of veterans for such appointments. Changes in the system used to schedule such appointments, including changes to improve how the Department— measures wait times of veterans for such appointments; monitors the availability of health care providers of the Department; and provides veterans the ability to schedule such appointments.
Such other actions as the independent third party considers appropriate. The independent third party carrying out the assessment required by paragraph
(1)shall complete such assessment not later than 180 days after entering into the contract described in such paragraph. Not later than 90 days after the date on which the independent third party completes the assessment under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the results of such assessment. Not later than 30 days after submitting the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall publish such report in the Federal Register and on an Internet website of the Department accessible to the public.