Sec. 709. STANDARDIZED SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AT MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITIES
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## SEC. 709 STANDARDIZED SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AT MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITIES **[**[10 U.S.C. 1071 note](/us/usc/t10/s1071)**]** ###
(a)Standardized System ####
(1)In general Not later than January 1, 2018, the Secretary of Defense shall implement a system for scheduling medical appointments at military treatment facilities that is standardized throughout the military health system to enable timely access to care for covered beneficiaries. ####
(2)Lack of variance The system implemented under paragraph
(1)shall ensure that the appointment scheduling processes and procedures used within the military health system do not vary among military treatment facilities. ###
(b)Sole System Upon implementation of the system under subsection (a), no military treatment facility may use an appointment scheduling process other than such system. ###
(c)Scheduling of Appointments ####
(1)In general Under the system implemented under subsection (a), each military treatment facility shall use a centralized appointment scheduling capability for covered beneficiaries that includes the ability to schedule appointments manually via telephone as described in paragraph
(2)or automatically via a device that is connected to the Internet through an online scheduling system described in paragraph (3). ####
(2)Telephone appointment process #####
(A)In general In the case of a covered beneficiary who contacts a military treatment facility via telephone to schedule an appointment under the system implemented under subsection (a), the Secretary shall implement standard processes to ensure that the needs of the covered beneficiary are met during the first such telephone call. #####
(B)Matters included The standard processes implemented under subparagraph
(A)shall include the following: ######
(i)The ability of a covered beneficiary, during the telephone call to schedule an appointment, to also schedule wellness visits or follow-up appointments during the 180-day period beginning on the date of the request for the visit or appointment. ######
(ii)The ability of a covered beneficiary to indicate the process through which the covered beneficiary prefers to be reminded of future appointments, which may include reminder telephone calls, emails, or cellular text messages to the covered beneficiary at specified intervals prior to appointments. ####
(3)Online system #####
(A)In general The Secretary shall implement an online scheduling system that is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for purposes of scheduling appointments under the system implemented under subsection (a). #####
(B)Capabilities of online system The online scheduling system implemented under subparagraph
(A)shall have the following capabilities: ######
(i)An ability to send automated email and text message reminders, including repeat reminders, to patients regarding upcoming appointments. ######
(ii)An ability to store appointment records to ensure rapid access by medical personnel to appointment data. ###
(d)Standards for Productivity of Health Care Providers ####
(1)In general The Secretary shall implement standards for the productivity of health care providers at military treatment facilities. ####
(2)Matters considered In developing standards under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider— #####
(A)civilian benchmarks for measuring the productivity of health care providers; #####
(B)the optimal number of medical appointments for each health care provider that would be required, as determined by the Secretary, to maintain access of covered beneficiaries to health care from the Department; and #####
(C)the readiness requirements of the Armed Forces. ###
(e)Plan ####
(1)In general Not later than January 1, 2017, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a comprehensive plan to implement the system required under subsection (a). ####
(2)Elements The plan required under paragraph
(1)shall include the following: #####
(A)A description of the manual appointment process to be used at military treatment facilities under the system required under subsection (a). #####
(B)A description of the automated appointment process to be used at military treatment facilities under such system. #####
(C)A timeline for the full implementation of such system throughout the military health system. ###
(f)Briefing Not later than February 1, 2018, the Secretary shall brief the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the implementation of the system required under subsection
(a)and the standards for the productivity of health care providers required under subsection (d). ###
(g)Report on Missed Appointments ####
(1)In general Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the total number of medical appointments at military treatment facilities for which a covered beneficiary failed to appear without prior notification during the one-year period preceding the submittal of the report. ####
(2)Elements Each report under paragraph
(1)shall include for each military treatment facility the following: #####
(A)An identification of the top five reasons for a covered beneficiary missing an appointment. #####
(B)A comparison of the number of missed appointments for specialty care versus primary care. #####
(C)An estimate of the cost to the Department of Defense of missed appointments. #####
(D)An assessment of strategies to reduce the number of missed appointments. ###
(h)Covered Beneficiary Defined In this section, the term “covered beneficiary” has the meaning given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. ## Subtitle B Other Health Care Benefits
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Sec. 709
STANDARDIZED SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AT MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITIES
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