Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “VA Same-Day Scheduling Act of 2023”.
VA Same-Day Scheduling Act of 2023
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure the timely scheduling of appointments for health care at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Requirement for timely scheduling of appointments at medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs
Requirement— Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating section 1706A as section 1706B; and
by inserting after section 1706 the following new section:
“1706A. Management of health care: timely scheduling of appointments at Department facilities
“(a) Requirement for scheduling—In managing the provision of hospital care and medical services at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs under this chapter, the Secretary shall ensure that whenever a covered veteran contacts the Department by telephone to request the scheduling of an appointment for care or services for the covered veteran at such a facility, the scheduling for the appointment occurs during that telephone call (regardless of the prospective date of the appointment being scheduled).
“(b) Covered veteran defined—In this section, the term “covered veteran” means a veteran who is enrolled in the system of patient enrollment of the Department under section 1705(a) of this title.”
Clerical amendment— The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by striking the item relating to section 1706A and inserting the following new items:
Applicability— The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to requests for appointment scheduling occurring on or after the date that is 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.