Bill Summary
This legislation, known as the "VA Quality Health Care Accountability and Transparency Act," aims to improve transparency within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain information publicly available on the VA's website. This information includes numeric indicators related to timely and effective care, safety, and patient-centered care, as well as staffing and vacancy information, patient wait times, and patient safety and quality of care measures. The website must also be easily accessible and understandable to the general public and be directly linked from the VA's main website and each medical center's website. The Secretary may also consult with veterans service organizations and enter into a contract with a specialized company to design the website. The accuracy and completeness of the data will be annually audited and validated by an independent entity, and the Comptroller General will conduct a review of the website after three years to ensure compliance and make recommendations for improvement. Overall, this legislation aims to promote accountability and transparency within the VA and provide easily accessible information for veterans and the general public.
Possible Impacts
1. Increased transparency in the Department of Veterans Affairs could potentially have a positive impact on veterans and their families, as they would have access to more information about the quality of care at different medical facilities. This could help them make more informed decisions about their healthcare.
2. The requirement for the internet website to be directly accessible from the main homepage of the Department's website and each medical center's website could make it easier for the general public to access and understand the information. This could potentially benefit people who may not have as much technological proficiency.
3. The audits conducted by the Secretary and the independent validation by the Inspector General could ensure that the data on the website is accurate and complete. This could potentially hold medical centers accountable for providing accurate information and improving the quality of care for veterans.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5786 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5786
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain information
publicly available on one internet website of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 6, 2020
Mr. Gallego (for himself, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Lamb, Mr. Joyce of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio, and Mr. Timmons) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain information
publicly available on one internet website of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``VA Quality Health Care
Accountability and Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVED TRANSPARENCY BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Publication of Staffing and Quality of Care Data.--Not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make publicly available on the
Access to Care internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs
(or a successor website) the information under subsection (b).
(b) Information Included.--
(1) In general.--The information published on the internet
website under subsection (a) shall include--
(A) any numeric indicators relating to timely care,
effective care, safety, and veteran-centered care that
the Secretary collects at medical facilities of the
Department pursuant to section 1703C of title 38,
United States Code;
(B) the staffing and vacancy information required
by subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 505(a)(1)
of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-182; 38
U.S.C. 301 note);
(C) the patient wait times information required by
subsection (a) of section 206 of the Veterans Access,
Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-
146; 128 Stat. 1780); and
(D) the patient safety, quality of care, and
outcome measures required by subsection (b) of such
section.
(2) Updates.--The Secretary shall regularly update the
internet website under subsection (a) to ensure that the
information under paragraph (1) is the most current information
required by the provisions of law specified in such paragraph.
(c) Requirements of Internet Website.--In addition to the
requirements of section 206(b)(4) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and
Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 128 Stat. 1781), the
Secretary shall ensure that the internet website under subsection (a)
meets the following requirements:
(1) The internet website is directly accessible from--
(A) the main homepage of the publicly accessible
internet website of the Department; and
(B) the main homepage of the publicly accessible
internet website of each medical center of the
Department.
(2) Where practicable, the internet website is organized
and searchable by each medical center of the Department.
(3) The internet website is easily understandable and
usable by the general public.
(d) Consultation and Contract Authority.--In carrying out
subsection (c)(3), the Secretary--
(1) shall consult with veterans service organizations; and
(2) may enter into a contract to design the internet
website under subsection (a) with a company, non-profit entity,
or other entity, specializing in website design that has
substantial experience in presenting health care data and
information in a easily understandable and usable manner to
patients and consumers.
(e) Accuracy of Data.--
(1) Annual process.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop
and implement an annual process to audit a generalizable subset
of the data contained in the internet website under subsection
(a) to assess the accuracy and completeness of the data.
(2) Criteria.--The Secretary shall ensure that each audit
under subsection (a)--
(A) determines the extent that the medical record
information, clinical information, data, and
documentation provided by each medical center of the
Department that is used to calculate the information
under subsection (b) is accurate and complete;
(B) identifies any deficiencies in the recording of
medical record information, clinical information, or
data by medical centers of the Department that affects
the accuracy and completeness of the information under
subsection (b); and
(C) provides recommendations to medical centers of
the Department on how to--
(i) improve the accuracy and completeness
of the medical record information, clinical
information, data, and documentation that is
used to calculate the information under
subsection (b); and
(ii) ensure that each medical center of the
Department provides such information in a
uniform manner.
(3) Independent validation.--The Secretary shall enter into
an agreement with the Inspector General of the Department, or
an entity other than the Department selected by the Secretary,
to validate each audit under subsection (a).
(4) Annual reports.--Not later than two years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of
each audit under paragraph (1), including the independent
validation of the audit conducted under paragraph (3).
(f) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than three years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall conduct a review of the internet website under
subsection (a) to assess the degree to which the Secretary is complying
with this section and to provide recommendations to the Secretary on
how to improve the internet website.
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