[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 166 (Monday, November 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7863-S7864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2775. Mr. McCONNELL (for Ms. Murkowski) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for 
himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2016, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. ___. (a) Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the congressional veterans committees 
     a report evaluating the implementation by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs of section 101 of the Veterans Access, 
     Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 
     38 U.S.C. 1701 note).
       (b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include, 
     with respect to the implementation of such section 101, an 
     evaluation of the following:
       (1) The effect of such implementation on the reduction in 
     the use of purchased care by the Department, including delays 
     or denials of care and interruptions in courses and 
     continuity of care.
       (2) The ability of health care providers to meet the demand 
     for primary, specialty, and behavioral health care under such 
     section 101 that cannot reasonably be provided in medical 
     facilities of the Department.
       (3) The efforts of the Department to recruit health care 
     providers to provide health care under such section 101.
       (4) The accuracy of the information provided to veterans 
     through call centers regarding the receipt of health care 
     under such section 101.
       (5) The timeliness of referrals of veterans by the 
     Department to health care providers under such section 101.

[[Page S7864]]

       (6) Unique issues and difficulties in the implementation of 
     section 101 with respect to veterans residing in rural areas, 
     the States of Alaska and Hawaii and states lacking a full 
     service VA Hospital.
       (7) With respect to rural areas: (A) an identification of 
     the average wait times for veterans in rural areas to receive 
     health care under such section 101, measured from when the 
     veteran first calls the Department or contracted call center 
     to request an appointment; (B) an assessment of utilization 
     rates for health care provided under such section 101 in 
     rural areas (C) an assessment of the accessibility of 
     veterans in rural areas to primary and specialty care at 
     medical centers of the Department and from non-Department 
     health care providers under such section 101; (D) an 
     assessment of the status of any pilot programs created by the 
     Department to provide care under such section 101; (E) an 
     identification of the number of health care providers 
     providing health care under such section 101 to veterans in 
     rural areas, broken out by primary care providers, specialty 
     and subspecialty providers, and behavioral health providers 
     in each Veterans Integrated Service Network.
       (8) Recommendations for such improvements to the provision 
     of health care under such section 101 as the Comptroller 
     General considers appropriate.
       (c) In this section, the term ``congressional veterans 
     committees'' means the Veterans Affairs Committees of the 
     United States Senate and the House of Representatives and the 
     Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and 
     Related Agencies of the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     United States Senate and the House of Representatives.
                                 ______