[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 26, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S90-S91]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CONRAD:
  S. 2007. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
procedures relating to the scheduling of appointments for certain non-
emergency medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


                 specialized medical care for veterans

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, during the recent congressional 
adjournment, I had many opportunities to meet with veterans across 
North Dakota and medical care professionals within the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fargo regarding issues relating to 
veterans medical care and the VA budget.
  One concern raised repeatedly by veterans and VA health care 
professionals related to the lengthy waiting periods for service-
connected, non-emergency speciality medical care. In many cases, the 
waiting period for a veteran between the initial consultation by a VA 
health care professional, and the scheduled appointment with a medical 
specialist was 6 to 10 months, and in some instances up to a year.
  Last year, Mr. President, the Independent Budget For Fiscal Year 2000 
prepared by the Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, Veterans of Foreign 
Wars and Paralyzed Veterans of America, called attention to the 
specialized care concerns, particularly the impact of funding 
shortfalls on staffing to provide specialized medical services. The 
Independent Budget emphasized the need to provide adequate resources 
for veterans with speciality needs. More recently, surveys of VA 
medical facilities by the Disabled Veterans of America confirmed no 
significant improvement in waiting periods for medical care at VA 
facilities.
  Mr. President, veterans requesting speciality care at a DVA medical 
facility are entitled to speciality care within a reasonable period of 
time. They should not be required to wait months and months for this 
essential medical care. In response to these speciality care concerns, 
and the recommendations in the Fiscal Year 2000 Independent Budget, I 
am introducing legislation to make certain that service-connected 
veterans requesting speciality care at VA facilities receive that care 
within a reasonable period of time.
  Under this legislation, the VA would be required to automatically 
review a service-connected veteran's request for non-emergency 
speciality care if scheduling the appointment exceeds a three week 
period beyond the initial VA consultation. If an appointment for 
specialty care could not be provided at a veteran's VA facility in the 
local area, the VA would be required to provide the service-connected 
veteran with an appointment for care at another VA facility, or offer 
the veteran the opportunity for speciality care through a private 
physician in the veteran's home community.
  Additionally, the VA would be required to report to Congress annually

[[Page S91]]

on the waiting periods for various types of non-emergency speciality 
medical care for service-connected veterans, especially on any critical 
problems and staffing shortages that contribute to these waiting 
periods. The report also requires the VA to include recommendations for 
addressing waiting periods, any staffing shortages, including special 
pay adjustments, or any other modifications in pay authority that might 
be necessary to retain and recruit speciality medical personnel.

  Mr. President, I know that DVA officials and medical center personnel 
are very concerned about the waiting periods that veterans experience 
for certain speciality medical care. D.A. personnel are also acutely 
aware of speciality care staffing shortages. As reported in the 
Independent Budget for Fiscal Year 2000, it's critical that Congress 
provide the essential funding resources to ensure that these speciality 
care services are met promptly. I urge the Senate Committee on Veterans 
Affairs to conduct hearings on VA speciality care and to incorporate 
the recommendations in my legislation in appropriate veterans medical 
care legislation that will be considered by the Senate in FY 2001.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2007

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. IMPROVEMENT OF PROCEDURES RELATING TO SCHEDULING 
                   OF APPOINTMENTS FOR CERTAIN NON-EMERGENCY 
                   MEDICAL SERVICES.

       (a) In General.--(1) Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 
     38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
     1706 the following new section:

     ``Sec. 1706A. Management of health care: appointments for 
       certain non-emergency medical services

       ``(a) The Secretary shall establish a priority in the 
     scheduling of appointments for non-emergency medical services 
     furnished by the Secretary through medical specialists for 
     veterans with service-connected disabilities.
       ``(b) If the scheduled date of an appointment of a veteran 
     with a service-connected disability for non-emergency medical 
     services to be furnished by the Secretary through a medical 
     specialist is more than three weeks later than the date the 
     appointment is made, the Secretary shall--
       ``(1) provide for the immediate review of the appointment; 
     and
       ``(2) furnish the medical services covered by the 
     appointment to the veteran at an earlier date than the 
     scheduled date of the appointment--
       ``(A) through a Department medical specialist at another 
     Department facility; or
       ``(B) through a non-Department medical specialist located 
     in the area in which the veteran resides.''.
       (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of 
     that title is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
     section 1706 the following new item:

``1706A. Management of health care: appointments for certain non-
              emergency medical services.''.
       (b) Annual Report on Shortages in Medical Specialty 
     Personnel.--(1) Not later than January 31 each year, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a 
     report on any shortages in medical specialty personnel in the 
     Veterans Health Administration during the preceding year.
       (2) The report under paragraph (1) for a year shall--
       (A) set forth the average waiting period during the year 
     for veterans with service-connected disabilities for various 
     types of non-emergency medical services furnished by medical 
     specialty personnel at each Department of Veterans Affairs 
     medical center;
       (B) set forth any shortages in medical specialty personnel 
     identified by the Secretary during the year; and
       (C) include the recommendations of the Secretary for means 
     of addressing such shortages, including recommendations, if 
     appropriate, for special pays, adjustments in pay, or other 
     modifications of pay authority necessary to recruit or retain 
     appropriate medical specialty personnel.
                                 ______