Sec. 8260. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES STUDY AND REPORT ON MEDICAL STAFFING STANDARDS AND NEEDS FOR COAST GUARD

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## SEC. 8260 COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES STUDY AND REPORT ON MEDICAL STAFFING STANDARDS AND NEEDS FOR COAST GUARD ###

(a)Study ####

(1)In general The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that examines the health care system of the Coast Guard. ####

(2)Elements The study conducted under paragraph

(1)shall analyze the following: #####

(A)The billets in clinics of the Coast Guard, whether for personnel of the Coast Guard or otherwise, including the number of billets, vacancies, and length of vacancies. #####

(B)The wait times for patients to attain an appointment for urgent care, routine physician care, and dental care. #####

(C)The impact of billet vacancies on such wait times. #####

(D)The barriers, if any, to improving coordination and access to physicians within the health care system of the Department of Defense. #####

(E)The accessibility and availability of behavioral health medical personnel at clinics of the Coast Guard, including personnel available for family counseling, therapy, and other needs. #####

(F)The staffing models of clinics of the Coast Guard, including recommendations to modernize such models. #####

(G)The locations and needs of Coast Guard units with or without clinics. #####

(H)How access to care models for members of the Coast Guard are managed, including models with respect to the time and distance traveled to receive care, the cost of that travel, and alternate options to secure care quickly and efficiently for members serving in units without a clinic. ###

(b)Report ####

(1)In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 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 containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations from the study required under subsection (a). ####

(2)Elements The report submitted under paragraph

(1)shall include the following: #####

(A)An identification of the number of members of the Coast Guard and types of units of the Coast Guard serviced by the health care system of the Coast Guard. #####

(B)An assessment of the ability of the Coast Guard to conduct medical support at outlying units, including remote units. #####

(C)An assessment of the capacity of the Coast Guard to support surge operations using historical data from the 10-year period preceding the date of the report. #####

(D)An assessment of the impact to operations of the Coast Guard by extended wait times or travel times to receive care or other issues identified by the report. ###

(c)Recommendations Not later than 90 days after the date on which the report is submitted under subsection (b), the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives written recommendations for medical staffing standards for the Coast Guard based on each finding and conclusion contained in the report, including recommendations for health service technicians, flight surgeons, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, family advocate services, pharmacists, and administrators, and other recommendations, as appropriate.