H.R. 8199: Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services Act of 2026

This bill is known as the Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services Act of 2026, or the SCHEDULES Act of 2026. Its primary aim is to enhance the scheduling processes for medical care provided to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Establishment of Standards

The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a comprehensive standard for the timeframe between when a veteran is referred for medical care and when that appointment takes place. This applies to care given both within VA facilities and through community providers. Additionally, the Secretary is allowed to modify these standards as appointment scheduling processes improve over time.

Publication and Reporting Requirements

Before implementing or modifying the established standards, the Secretary must publish these changes in the Federal Register and on a publicly accessible website associated with the VA at least 30 days in advance. This is aimed at ensuring transparency in the scheduling process.

Regular Reporting to Congress

The Secretary is also mandated to submit reports to Congress on a quarterly basis. These reports will include:

• The total number and percentage of referrals that meet the established standards.
• Details on the timeliness of appointments, specifically:
  • A three-business-day standard for scheduling appointments within VA facilities.
  • A seven-calendar-day standard for appointments with community providers.
• A breakdown of this data by the most in-demand categories of medical care (like mental health, cardiology, etc.).
• A ranking of VA medical centers based on how well they meet the established standard, with this information also provided on a state-by-state basis.

Annual Information

Annually, the Secretary must provide aggregated data covering the previous four quarters and a description of efforts made to enhance the timeliness of care, alongside an estimated timeline for full compliance with the established standards.

Public Availability of Reports

Finally, all reports submitted to Congress will be made publicly available on the Veterans Health Administration website, allowing for transparency and accountability in the scheduling of veterans' medical appointments.

Relevant Companies

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