Reps. Panetta, Franklin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Timely Access to Veteran Care

Monterey, CA - United States Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Scott Franklin (FL-18) introduced the bipartisanScheduling for Community Health and Easy Data to Understand for Legislators to Evaluate Services (SCHEDULES) Actto ensure timely treatment for veterans seeking specialty care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is leading companion legislation in the Senate.

"Far too often, veterans face lengthy delays to receiving the care they need, especially in rural communities," said Rep. Panetta. "Our bipartisan bill would establish a national timing standard between referrals and appointments at VA facilities so that veterans in the 19th Congressional District and beyond can reliably and quickly secure support and make informed decisions about their care. I will keep working across the aisle to remove needless barriers and provide veterans with timely access to VA services."

"As a veteran, I've seen firsthand the sacrifices our service members make, and our responsibility to them doesn't end when they leave the uniform," said Rep. Franklin, House Military Construction/VA Appropriations Subcommittee member. "Too often, referrals to community care still come with delays. This bill sets a clear standard and ensures veterans get timely care, whether at the VA or close to home."

"Our veterans and servicemembers deserve to know that they won't face unnecessary delays in their healthcare," said Sen. Scott. "The SCHEDULES Act ensures the VA provides timely, responsive care and will help hold them accountable through transparent standards and public reporting requirements. Our government and VA must stand ready to support veterans at every stage of their lives - our nation's heroes deserve nothing less."

In 2020, the VA updated its specialty care scheduling process, including a requirement that community care appointments be scheduled within seven days of a referral. But GAO found VA medical centers are less likely to meet that standard for veterans referred to community providers than for care delivered inside the VA.

More importantly, the VA still has no clear benchmark for how long a veteran should wait to actually receive care after that appointment is scheduled. For veterans relying on community care, that means more uncertainty, less accountability, and too often, longer delays getting the care they've earned.

The SCHEDULES Actaddresses these gaps by requiring the VA to:

• Establish a standard timeline for care from the moment a referral is entered until the veteran is seen for the related issue;
• Report to Congress quarterly on progress implementing the new standard; and
• Provide transparency through performance metrics and rankings for each VA facility.

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