(a) In general

Section 3101 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following new subsection (d):

(d) Program on scheduling appointments with Community Care providers by employees of the Department through information technology system

(1)

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary shall, instead of the process under subsection (a), carry out a program through which a scheduler of the Department—

(A)

may schedule, for a veteran, an appointment—

(i)

for health care furnished through the Veterans Community Care Program; and

(ii)

offered by a non-Department health care provider that participates in the Veterans Community Care Program and elects to participate in the program under this subsection; and

(B)

using an information technology system.

(2)

The Secretary shall carry out the program under this subsection through an existing agreement if practicable.

(3)

The program under this subsection shall, with regards to an appointment available with a Department provider or a non-Department provider that participates in the Veterans Community Care Program, allow a scheduler—

(A)

to view, search, and sort such appointments by type of care, location, and date;

(B)

to schedule such an appointment;

(C)

to provide referral or authorization documents directly to a non-Department provider; and

(D)

to perform any other function the Secretary determines necessary.

(4)

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations under this subsection. Such regulations shall include a directive to employees at medical centers of the Department to use the information technology system under this subsection to schedule appointments described in paragraph (1) instead of the process under subsection (a) whenever practicable.

(5)

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, the Secretary shall plan and carry out an outreach campaign to encourage non-Department providers that participate in the Veterans Community Care Program to participate in the program under this subsection. Such outreach shall include the publication of a publicly accessible website of the Department regarding—

(A)

details of the program;

(B)

how a provider may elect to participate in the program; and

(C)

a point of contact in the Department regarding the program.

(6)

The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives the following documents regarding the program under this subsection:

(A)

Not later than 30 days after each determination described in paragraph (3)(D), a report regarding each function described in such subparagraph.

(B)

Not later than 30 days after prescription, a copy of the regulations prescribed under paragraph (4).

(C)

Not later than 30 days after the Secretary formulates the plan under paragraph (5), a copy of such plan.

(D)

Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act and every six months thereafter during the following five years, a report regarding operation of such program during the six months preceding the date of the report. Such a report shall include the following:

(i)

The number of non-Department health care providers who participated in such program.

(ii)

The number of appointments under the Veterans Community Care Program, scheduled by a scheduler of the Department, disaggregated by—

(I)

whether the appointment was scheduled under such program or by the process under subsection (a);

(II)

category of medical services provided; and

(III)

month.

(7)

The program under this subsection shall terminate seven years after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act.

(b) Codification