S. 3033: Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act

This bill, titled the Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act, aims to enhance healthcare access for veterans living in rural areas. It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities and medical facilities in rural locations. Here’s a breakdown of the key components of the bill:

Partnership Requirements

• The Secretary must ensure that each VA medical facility forms a partnership with at least one rural medical facility.
• These partnerships may include various types of agreements, such as:
  • Telehealth services
  • Co-location or leasing of space or equipment
  • Training for medical staff
  • Care coordination
  • Emergency services, including transportation
• The main goal of these partnerships is to increase healthcare access for veterans in rural areas while also reducing costs for all parties involved.

Waiver Provisions

The bill allows the Secretary to waive the partnership requirement for specific facilities for up to five years, with conditions. If a waiver is granted, the Secretary must notify Congress at least 48 hours in advance. Renewals for waivers are also possible based on evaluations of need.

Implementation Plans

• Within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, the Secretary must provide Congress with a briefing outlining:
  • A timeline for implementing the partnership requirements.
  • An identification of a designated official responsible for the implementation.
  • Updates on any task forces or personnel assignments related to this effort.
  • A plan for oversight of the partnerships.
  • A standardized waiver application process and eligibility criteria.

Reporting Requirements

Two years after the enactment, the Secretary must submit reports to Congress every two years on the partnerships, which should include:

• Details of new and existing partnerships.
• An assessment of their effectiveness in providing services to veterans.
• Data on veteran enrollment in the healthcare system in partnership regions and comparisons to prior years.
• An evaluation of accessibility improvements due to the partnerships.
• Identification of best practices derived from these partnerships.

Timeline for Compliance

The bill stipulates that all existing VA medical facilities need to comply with the partnership requirement or secure a waiver within three years of the bill's enactment. For any new medical facilities that are established after the bill becomes law, compliance is also required within three years of starting to see patients.

Definitions

The bill includes definitions for terms such as:

• Partnership: Various agreements between VA medical facilities and rural facilities.
• Rural: Defined according to specific criteria set by the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas coding system.
• Service-connected: Relevant to veterans' disability claims as defined by existing law.

Relevant Companies

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