S.Amdt. 3571

SA 3571, submitted by Mr. Moran, aims to add Section 724 to bill S. 2296. The purpose of this addition is to improve the availability of care for veterans by utilizing facilities and providers from the Department of Defense (DOD).

The amendment proposes the following changes and additions:

• Outreach and Training: It requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct at least annual outreach to veterans about receiving care at military medical treatment facilities. It also mandates training for staff and contractors involved in scheduling community care appointments to include referral options for DOD facilities and providers.

• Preferred Providers: It amends the law to include "Preferred Providers" in the subsection heading of section 1703 of title 38, United States Code, and designates certain providers as preferred providers.

• Action Plans: The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must create and implement action plans at covered facilities to:

  • Expand the healthcare partnership between the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Improve communication between the two agencies.
  • Increase the use of military medical facilities that have excess capacity.
  • Increase the complexity and volume of cases for graduate medical education programs.
  • Improve resource sharing agreements and reduce barriers to shared spaces.
  • Increase veteran access to care in areas where the Secretary of Defense identifies excess capacity at military facilities.

• Action Plan Details: These plans must include cross-credentialing for staff, expedited access to DOD installations for VA staff and beneficiaries, non-cash payment options, and allowing some veterans to seek services at military facilities without VA referral or preauthorization. Plans must also include a coordinator, a monitoring mechanism for effectiveness, and integrated IT systems for sharing information and billing.

• Oversight and Administration:

  • Action plans require approval from the DOD-VA Joint Executive Committee co-chairs, local DOD installation commanders, and VA medical center directors.
  • The secretaries must submit an initial report of the plans to Congress within 90 days of enactment, followed by a status update and recommendations one year later.
  • A lead coordinator must be placed at each facility with a sharing agreement, and a public list of all sharing agreements must be maintained on a website.

• Funding and Rules: The amendment allows the use of the DOD-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund for implementation. It explicitly states that veterans are not required to seek care in DOD facilities.