Veterans Legislation to provide better access to care and hold employees accountable

[Mike Brinck]

In case anyone is interested, here's a summary of the veterans bill that Congress will vote on this week:

The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 Highlights
To improve access to and quality of care for veterans, the bill would:

Require VA to offer an authorization to receive non-VA care to any veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system as of August 1, 2014, or who is a newly discharged combat veteran if such veteran is unable to secure an appointment at a VA medical facility within 30 days (or a future published goal established by VA) or resides more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility, with certain exceptions.

Require VA to provide a Veterans Choice Card to eligible veterans to facilitate care provided by non-VA providers.

Provide $10 billion for the newly-established “Veterans Choice Fund” to cover the costs of this increased access to non-VA care.

Require an independent assessment of VA medical care and establish a Congressional Commission on Care to evaluate access to care throughout the VA health care system.

Extend the ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home) pilot program for two years.

Extend for three years a pilot program to provide rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration services to veterans with complex-mild to severe traumatic brain injury.

Improve the delivery of care to veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma as well as care for Native Hawaiian and Native American veterans.

To expand VA’s internal capacity to provide timely care to veterans, the bill would:

Provide $5 billion to VA to increase access to care through the hiring of physicians and other medical staff and by improving VA’s physical infrastructure.

Authorize 27 major medical facility leases in 18 states and Puerto Rico.
To provide real accountability for incompetent or corrupt senior managers, the bill would:

Authorize VA to fire or demote Senior Executive Service (SES) employees and Title 38 SES equivalent employees for poor performance or misconduct.

-Provide an expedited and limited appeal process for employees disciplined under this authority. Appeals would go to a Merit Systems Protection Board administrative judge, who would have 21 days to decide on the appeal. If a decision is not reached within that 21-day period, then VA’s decision to remove or demote the executive is final.

-Prohibit SES employees from receiving pay, bonuses and benefits during the appeal process.

Reduce funding for bonuses available to VA employees by $40 million each year through FY 2024.

To improve education benefits for veterans and dependents, the bill would:

Require public colleges to provide in-state tuition to veterans and eligible dependents in order for the school to remain eligible to receive G.I. Bill education payments.

Expand the Sgt. Fry Scholarship Program to provide full Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to spouses of servicemembers who died in the line of duty after 9/11.

According to current CBO estimates, the bill would result in net spending of roughly $11-$12 billion over a 10-year period,

[Paul Albertine]

Thanks for the update Mike, any idea as to when they would announce the locations of the new clinics?  What is the part about a congressional commission to determine appropriate care program for the Veteran?  Staffed by Doc's...?

[Mike Brinck]

Paul et al - here's the list of clinics in the vet access bill.  If you need more details, you can find it all online at the Rules Committee website:  rules.house.gov  , then click on “bills to be considered” at the top, then scroll all the way to the bottom and you’ll see the pdf of both the text and the report.  If you have trouble sleeping, just go to the website and read the bill and report.  It should have a blue cover, just like NATOPS manuals. :>)

As to the commission, you will find the details in the report and bill. In short, membership on the commission will be made of a wide variety of people with expertise in running hospital systems.

Here a list of clinics in the bill.

( 1 ) For a clinical research and pharmacy co-ordinating center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, an
amount not to exceed $9, 560,000.

( 2 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, 1 6 Brick, New Jersey, an amount not to exceed
$7,280,000.

( 3) For a new pnmary care and dental clinic 19 annex, Charleston, South Carolina, an amount not
 to exceed $7,070 , 2 5 0 .

( 4) For a community-based outpatient clinic, 22 Cobb County, Georgia, an amount not to exceed
$6,409,000.

( 5 ) For the Leeward Outpatient Healthcare Access Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

( 6 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Johnson County, Kansas, an amount not to exceed
$2,263,000.

( 7 ) For a replacement community-based outpatient clinic, Lafayette, Louisiana, an amount not
to exceed $2 , 9 9 6,000.

( 8 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Lake Charles, Louisiana, an amount not to exceed
$2 , 62 6 ,000.

( 9 ) For outpatient clinic consolidation, New Port Richey, Florida, an amount not to exceed $ 1 1 , 92 7 ,000.

( 1 0) For an outpatient clinic, Ponce, Puerto Rico, an amount not to exceed $ 1 1 , 5 3 5 ,000.

( 1 1 ) For lease consolidation, San Antonio, Texas, an amount not to exceed $ 1 9 , 42 6,000.

( 12 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, San Diego, California, an amount not to exceed $ 1 1 , 94 6 , 1 0 0 .

( 1 3 ) For an outpatient clinic, Tyler, Texas, an amount not to exceed $4,32 7,000.

( 1 4) For the Errera Community Care Center, West Haven, Connecticut, an amount not to exceed $4, 8 8 3 , 000.

( 1 5 ) For the Worcester Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, Worcester, Massachusetts, an amount
not to exceed $4, 855,000.

( 1 6 ) For the expansiOn of a community-based outpatient clinic, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an amount not to exceed $4,2 3 2 , 0 6 0 .

( 1 7) For a multispecialty clinic, Chattanooga, Tennessee, an amount not to exceed $ 7 , 0 6 9 , 000.

(1 8) For the expansion of a community-based outpatient clinic, Chico, California, an amount not to exceed $4,534,000.

( 1 9 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Chula Vista, California, an amount not to exceed
$3 , 714,000.

( 2 0 ) For a new research lease, Hines, Illinois, an amount not to exceed $22,03 2 , 0 0 0 .

( 2 1 ) For a replacement research lease, Houston, Texas, an amount not to exceed $6, 142 , 000.

(22 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Lincoln, Nebraska, an amount not to exceed $ 7 , 1 78,400.

( 2 3 ) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Lubbock, Texas, an amount not to exceed $ 8 , 554,000.

(24) For a community-based outpatient clinic consolidation, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, an amount not to exceed $8,022,000.

(25) For a community-based outpatient clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, an amount not to exceed $20 , 7 5 7 ,000.

(26) For the expansiOn of a community-based outpatient clinic, Redding, California, an amount not to exceed $ 8 , 1 54,000.

(27) For the expansion of a community-based outpatient clinic, Tulsa, Oklahoma, an amount not to exceed $ 1 3 , 2 6 9 ,200.