“A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Office of Patient Advocacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends VA patient advocacy requirements (under which patient advocates at medical facilities assist veterans in resolving health care complaints, tracking issues via the Patient Advocate Tracking System, and understanding patient rights) by (1) requiring each medical center director to designate at least one patient advocate as coordinator for veterans in rural and highly rural areas receiving care through community-based outpatient clinics or the community care network (prioritizing existing staff), (2) ensuring patient advocates at medical centers report to the medical center director at some point in the reporting chain, and (3) requiring the Secretary to submit annual reports to the congressional Veterans' Affairs Committees and Veterans Integrated Service Network directors with de-identified Patient Advocate Tracking System data on common issues, issue resolution times, information request resolution times, and compliments or complaints.