Working to increase transparency at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) unveiled a bipartisan bill on Feb. 6 that would improve the VA’s reporting of the quality of service it provides to veterans.
“All VA medical facilities need to be efficient, the care they deliver must be of the highest quality and the veterans they serve should be easily able to access and understand the information they need to make informed decisions about their health,” Rep. Joyce said.
The congressman introduced the VA Quality Health Care Accountability and Transparency Act, H.R. 5786, with U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
The legislation comes in response to a 2017 Government Accountability Office report that found the VA was not disclosing important health care quality information, such as wait time and patient safety at its medical facilities, in an accessible and understandable way, according to Rep. Joyce’s staff.
If enacted, the legislation would require the VA to display on one website staffing and vacancy information, patient wait times, patient safety and quality of care measures and outcomes in a user-friendly manner for consumers. In addition, the bill calls for the VA to audit all of the data it provides annually.
Rep. Gallego said H.R. 5786 makes sure veterans have the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care. “I am proud to work with a bipartisan group of members to ensure every veteran, every family member, and every American can easily access information on how well the VA is performing,” he said.
“Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much to defend our country and our freedoms,” Rep. Joyce added. “We owe it to them to provide them with the best possible care.”