§ 133. APPOINTMENT SELF-SCHEDULING CAPABILITIES.
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In General .— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the appointment self-scheduling technology used in the pilot program includes the following capabilities: Capability to self-schedule, modify, and cancel appointments directly online for primary care, specialty care, and mental health care under the Veterans Community Care Program with regard to each category of eligibility under section 1703(d)(1) of title 38 , United States Code. Capability to support appointments for the provision of health care under the Veterans Community Care Program regardless of whether such care is provided in person or through telehealth services.
Not fewer than two of the following capabilities: Capability to view appointment availability in real time to the extent practicable. Capability to load relevant patient information from the Decision Support Tool of the Department or any other information technology system of the Department used to determine the eligibility of veterans for health care under section 1703(d)(1) of title 38 , United States Code. Capability to search for providers and facilities participating in the Veterans Community Care Program based on distance from the residential address of a veteran.
Capability to filter provider results by clinical expertise, ratings, reviews, sex, languages spoken, and other criteria as determined by the Secretary. Capability to provide telephonic and electronic contact information for all such providers that do not offer online scheduling at the time. Capability to store and print authorization letters for veterans for health care under the Veterans Community Care Program. Capability to provide prompts or reminders to veterans to schedule initial appointments or follow-up appointments.
Capability to be used 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Capability to ensure veterans who self-schedule appointments through the appointment self-scheduling technology have scheduled such appointment with a provider possessing the required specialty and clinical expertise. Capability to integrate with the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture of the Department and the health record deployed by the Electronic Health Record Modernization program, or any successor information technology system or health record of the Department.
Capability to integrate with information technology systems of Third Party Administrators. Independent Validation and Verification.— In general .— The Comptroller General of the United States shall evaluate whether the appointment self-scheduling technology used in the pilot program includes the capabilities required under subsection
(a)and successfully performs such capabilities. Briefing .— Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Comptroller General completes the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on such evaluation. Certification .— Not later than 18 months after commencement of the pilot program, the Secretary shall certify to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives whether the appointment self-scheduling technology used in the pilot program and any other patient self-scheduling technology developed or used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule appointments under the Veterans Community Care Program as of the date of the certification includes the capabilities required under subsection (a). Third Party Administrator Defined .— In this section, the term ‘Third Party Administrator’ means an entity that manages a provider network and performs administrative services related to such network within the Veterans Community Care Program under section 1703 of title 38 , United States Code.