[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5032-H5033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            VETERANS HEALTHCARE ACCESS STANDARDS ACT OF 2003

  (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing 
the Veterans Health Care Access Standards Act of 2003. This bill would 
establish standards of access to care for veterans who utilize the VA 
health care system. If enacted the bill would codify the Department's 
current standard of access to care and would actually require the VA to 
use alternative community health care resources if the VA is unable to 
meet their own standard.
  In my home State of Florida, there is a backlog of more than 24,000 
veterans seeking VA medical care. In my District alone, there are 2,727 
veterans waiting for an appointment and another 2,000 who have an 
appointment but the schedule time is more than 6 months away.
  The Department's established access standard for outpatient care is 
to provide veterans seeking primary care with appointments within 30 
days of making the request for such an appointment. However, it is 
clear to any Member of Congress that has toured

[[Page H5033]]

VA outpatient clinics recently in their District that these goals have 
not been met.
  My bill will actually codify the veterans self-imposed standard. I 
think that it is important because if a VA medical center is unable to 
see a patient then that patient should be able to seek care elsewhere 
in the community.
  I urge my fellow Members to join me with this bill.

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