The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may soon have to abide by more stringent efficiency standards thanks to a new bill spearheaded by US Senator Rick Scott (R-Fl).
The Scheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services (SCHEDULES) Act responds to reports of extended wait times at VA medical facilities.
According to the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) latest findings, many VA medical referrals are failing to meet the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) ‘timeliness standards’ for medical service.
The SCHEDULES Act would require the VA Secretary to create a timing standard between referrals and subsequent appointments at VA facilities.
The Secretary would also be required to submit a quarterly report outlining the number of VA referrals meeting such standards and ranking each VA medical center’s performance.
Senator Scott underscored how many veterans rely on the VA as their only source of essential medical care.
“Millions of veterans rely on the VA, and it is critical that our VA providers are accountable and responsive in delivering essential, and often life-saving, health care,” sated Scott via press release.
However, according to Scott, “veterans across Florida and the country are forced to wait far too long for care and important appointments.”
Veterans across Florida and the country are forced to wait far too long for care and important appointments.
My bill, the SCHEDULES Act, will require uniform standards across the board so veterans have more insight into when their appointments will be.https://t.co/bheCtbBWAc
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) January 18, 2024
The bipartisan SCHEDULES Act was introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) along with Scott.
Congressman Scott Franklin (R-Fl) floored a similar version of the bill in the House of Representatives.
Earlier this week, Scott and Cruz endorsed former President Donald Trump after the former president’s sizeable victory in the Republican Primaries’ Iowa Caucuses.
“[Iowa] was a dominating victory for Donald Trump: I've got to say, there's no place like the Iowa caucuses. I know it intimately. The men and women of Iowa, they take their responsibility incredibly seriously. They scrutinize the candidates," Cruz said.
