Sec. 423. Data collection and access to care
363 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/s/4802/rs/section-423A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant, in consultation with the Defense Health Agency and any healthcare expert the Commandant considers appropriate, shall develop a policy to require the collection of data regarding access by members of the Coast Guard and their dependents to medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare as recommended by the Comptroller General of the United States in the report entitled Coast Guard Health Care: Improvements Needed for Determining Staffing Needs and Monitoring Access to Care published in February 2022. The policy required by subsection
(a)shall address the following: Methods to collect data on access to care for— routine annual physical health assessments; flight physicals for aviators or prospective aviators; sick call; injuries; dental health; and behavioral health conditions. Collection of data on access to care for referrals. Collection of data on access to care for members of the Coast Guard stationed at remote units, aboard Coast Guard cutters, and on deployments. Use of the electronic health record system to improve data collection on access to care. Use of data for addressing the standards of care, including time between requests for appointments and actual appointments, including appointments made with referral services. Not later than 15 days after the policy is developed under subsection (a), the Commandant shall submit the policy to the Comptroller General of the United States. Not later than 180 days after receiving the policy, the Comptroller General shall review the policy and provide recommendations to the Commandant. Not later than 60 days after receiving the recommendations of the Comptroller General, the Commandant shall modify the policy as necessary based on such recommendations. Not later than 90 days after the policy is modified under subsection (c)(3), the Commandant shall— publish the policy on a publicly accessible internet website of the Coast Guard; and submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the policy and the manner in which the Commandant plans to address access-to-care deficiencies. Not less frequently than every 5 years, the Commandant shall review and update the policy.