U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) reintroduced legislation aiming to bring more accountability to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) scheduling practices.
The VA Scheduling Accountability Act, H.R. 467, would require VA facilities to comply with all standard practices and directives when scheduling health care appointments for veterans.
“Veterans risked life and limb to keep America safe and free, but too often the VA has let them down and failed to provide the quality, timely care they earned,” Walorski said. “Ensuring every facility follows the VA’s scheduling rules is an important, commonsense step as Congress and the incoming administration get to work fixing the VA so it works for veterans.”
Senior VA officials waived the requirement that medical facility directors certify compliance with VA scheduling policies in May 2013, according to a VA Office of the Inspector General report.
Walorski first introduced the bill last year in response to the nationwide VA wait times scandal. The House unanimously passed the legislation as part of a larger VA reform bill.
H.R. 467 would reinstate the annual requirement for facility directors to certify compliance with VA scheduling practices and prohibit the use of future waivers of the requirement.
The VA secretary would also be required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing facilities that have not certified compliance and provide explanations as to why under the bill.