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

This section requires each Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility to enter into a partnership with a rural medical facility (i.e., as defined under the Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Commuting Areas coding system) to increase access to care for veterans in rural areas and reduce costs, which may include agreements for telehealth, co-location or leasing of space or equipment, training, care coordination, or emergency services (including transportation). The Secretary may waive the requirement for up to five years (renewable following evaluation and consultation) for any facility if Congress is notified at least 48 hours in advance. This section further directs VA to provide Congress a briefing within 180 days of enactment on implementation plans (including timeline, responsible official, oversight, waiver criteria and forms); submit biennial reports beginning two years after enactment assessing new and existing partnerships' performance (including veteran enrollment and service-connected disability compensation trends over prior five years, accessibility improvements, and best practices); and ensure compliance (or waiver) for existing patient-seeing facilities within three years of enactment and for new facilities within three years of first seeing patients. The new requirements are in addition to VA's existing authority under 38 U.S.C. §8153 to share or exchange health-care resources with other providers (Thus, VA facilities must pursue rural-specific partnerships regardless of current resource-sharing arrangements.).