S.Amdt. 3723

SA 3723, submitted by Mr. King, aims to make it easier for members of the Armed Forces to get health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as they leave military service. The amendment proposes adding a pre-transition health care registration system to streamline the move from military to veteran health care.

Key Changes and Additions

• Automatic Pre-Registration: The Secretary shall automatically register members in a pre-transition system no later than 180 days before their anticipated separation from the Armed Forces.

• Enrollment Assistance: Within 30 days after separation, the Secretary must help eligible individuals complete enrollment in the patient enrollment system and offer to schedule an initial health appointment.

• Proactive Outreach: The VA must conduct outreach before separation to explain registration and available services, and contact newly enrolled individuals within 180 days if they haven't scheduled an appointment.

• Simplified Process: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to create a simple and streamlined enrollment process to support physical and mental health and reduce veteran suicide.

• Coordination and Reporting:

  • The Secretary of Defense must include an explanation of this system in the Transition Assistance Program.
  • The VA must provide briefings to Congress on implementation and submit reports on the feasibility of allowing active duty members to have one no-cost appointment at a VA facility before separating.
  • Annual reports must be provided to Congress detailing the number of members registered and their subsequent enrollment status.

• Voluntary Participation: The amendment specifies that nothing in the text requires any member or veteran to use VA services or enroll in the system.