Ernst introduces bipartisan bill to reduce long wait times for veterans to receive medical care

Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Monday would eliminate the red tape leading to long waits for veterans scheduling medical appointments.

The Faster Care for Veterans Act, S. 3043, introduced by Ernst and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would establish a self-scheduling appointment system at all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities to shorten wait times.

“Our veterans deserve timely and quality care,” Ernst said. “This bill takes the needed steps to live up to that promise by implementing a long overdue pilot program to allow veterans to schedule and confirm their appointments at VA centers online. While we still have work to do to address long wait times at the VA, this legislation is an important step toward reforming and modernizing the VA appointment process to provide greater choice and faster service for our veterans.”

More than 120,000 veterans had to wait 90 days or more for a medical appointment or never received an appointment, according to a 2014 internal audit conducted by the VA.

“Excessive wait times can put veterans’ lives at risk, but state-of-the art technology that makes it easier to schedule appointments already exists and is being used in the private sector,” Klobuchar said. “Our veterans have earned the right to use the same technology to schedule their medical appointments without unnecessary red tape and delays. This bipartisan bill would take an important step forward in ensuring that our brave men and women who have sacrificed so much have access to the medical care they need and deserve.”

Under the Faster Care for Veterans Act, an 18-month pilot program would be established to allow veterans to self-schedule, confirm and modify both outpatient and specialty care through the Internet.

The technology, which is now in use by private sector hospitals and health systems, would allow veterans to immediately schedule appointments when other veterans cancel and schedule new appointments at any time.