Right now, when a VA scheduler needs to book a veteran's appointment with a non-VA doctor through the Veterans Community Care Program, the process is largely manual — phone calls, faxed referrals, paperwork. This bill would require the VA to build an electronic scheduling system that lets schedulers search non-VA providers, book appointments, and send referral and authorization documents directly through the system. The VA would have two years to roll it out, with mandatory employee training, outreach to non-VA providers, and semi-annual reports to Congress on wait times, cancellations, and no-show rates. The bill also extends, by five months, an existing cap on VA pension payments for veterans living in Medicaid-funded nursing facilities.
Transparency & Accountability
- Reporting requirements — Semi-annual reports to Congress on community-care scheduling for 3 years
- Sunset on §5503(d) pension cap — Extended 5 months to June 30, 2033
Congressional Summary
Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement ActThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement an electronic process for scheduling health care appointments furnished by the VA or through the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Under the bill, the VA must implement the electronic process not later than two years after the enactment of this bill.The VA must implement a mandatory training program for VA schedulers or other employees involved in scheduling appointments regarding guidelines for the implementation of the electronic process. Additionally, the VA must prescribe performance benchmarks and outcome-based metrics for the electronic process.The VA must also implement an outreach strategy to encourage non-VA health care providers participating in the VCCP to participate in the electronic process.Finally, the bill extends the limitation on pension amounts for certain hospitalized or institutionalized veterans through June 30, 2033.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to House
- Action Date
- 2026-03-30
- Date Added
- 2026-05-06
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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