[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62519-62520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24897]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Wait-Time Goals of the Department for the Veterans Choice Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 
directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program 
(the ``Veterans Choice Program'') to furnish hospital care and medical 
services through non-VA health care entities and providers to Veterans 
who either cannot be seen within the ``wait-time goals of the Veterans 
Health Administration'' or who qualify based on their place of 
residence. The statute defines the goals as being ``not more than 30 
days from the date on which a veteran requests an appointment for 
hospital care or medical services from the Department'' but also 
permits VA to establish another standard by submitting to Congress a 
report stating that VA's actual goals are

[[Page 62520]]

different. This Federal Register Notice announces VA's report on the 
wait-time goals for purposes of the Veterans Choice Program.

ADDRESSES: The report on the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health 
Administration for purposes of the Veterans Choice Program is available 
on the www.va.gov/health Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James A. Tuchschmidt, MD, Acting 
Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health (10A), 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20420, Telephone: 202-461-7008 (this is not a toll-
free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, 
and Accountability Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-146, ``the Act'') directs 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program (the 
``Veterans Choice Program'') to furnish hospital care and medical 
services through non-VA health care entities and providers to Veterans 
who either cannot be seen within the ``wait-time goals of the Veterans 
Health Administration'' or who qualify based on their place of 
residence. The statute, in section 101(s)(1), defines the goals as 
being ``not more than 30 days from the date on which a veteran requests 
an appointment for hospital care or medical services from the 
Department.'' The statute, in section 101(s)(2), also permits VA to 
establish another standard by submitting to Congress, not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of the Act, a report stating that 
VA's actual goals are different.
    This Federal Register Notice announces the report on the wait-time 
goals of the Veterans Health Administration for purposes of the 
Veterans Choice Program. The report provides that the goals of the 
Veterans Health Administration are as follows:

    Unless changed by further notice in the Federal Register, the 
term ``wait-time goals of the Veterans Health Administration'' means 
not more than 30 days from either the date that an appointment is 
deemed clinically appropriate by a VA health care provider, or if no 
such clinical determination has been made, the date a Veteran 
prefers to be seen for hospital care or medical services. In the 
event a VA health care provider identifies a time range when care 
must be provided (e.g., within the next 2 months), VA will use the 
last clinically appropriate date for determining whether or not such 
care is timely. The Department anticipates that the Under Secretary 
for Health periodically will consider changes to the wait-time goals 
of the Veterans Health Administration as appropriate.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose D. 
Riojas, Chief of Staff, approved this document on October 14, 2014, for 
publication.

    Dated: October 15, 2014.
William F. Russo,
Acting Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of 
the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-24897 Filed 10-16-14; 8:45 am]
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