Sec. 106. Pilot program on consolidating approval process of Department of Veterans Affairs for covered dental care
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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment established under section 1703E of title 38, United States Code, shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary shall hire— general dentists at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to manage approval by the Department of treatment plans requested by dental providers in providing covered dental care; and dental specialists at Veterans Integrated Service Networks of the Department to manage approval by the Department of treatment plans for specialty dental care requested by dental providers in providing covered dental care.
The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in not fewer than two Veterans Integrated Service Networks of the Department. Not later than one year after the date of the commencement of such pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program, that includes— an identification of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks participating in such pilot program; a description of the implementation of such pilot program; an identification of any barriers or challenges to implementing such pilot program; an assessment of the efficacy of hiring general dentists and dental specialists pursuant to such pilot program; aggregated feedback with respect to such pilot program from dentists of the Department in Veterans Integrated Service Networks participating in such pilot program; and aggregated feedback from dental providers providing covered dental care within such Veterans Integrated Service Networks regarding any changes in the timeliness of treatment plan approvals by the Department.
Not later than 90 days before the date of the completion of such pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program that— includes, with respect to the period covered by the report, each element of the report required under paragraph
(1)described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(F)of such paragraph; includes recommendations of the Secretary on whether the pilot program should be— extended; expanded; or adopted throughout the Department; and indicates whether the Secretary requests action by Congress to make the pilot program permanent. The authority to carry out the pilot program under this section shall terminate on the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act. In this section, the term covered dental care means dental care provided— under section 1703 of title 38, United States Code; or pursuant to a Veterans Care Agreement under section 1703A of such title.