ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSOLIDATED PATIENT ACCOUNTING CENTERS.

SEC. 406. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONSOLIDATED PATIENT ACCOUNTING CENTERS.(a) Establishment of Centers.—Chapter 17 is amended by inserting after section 1729A the following new section:“§ 1729B. Consolidated patient accounting centers“(a) In General.—Not later than five years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish not more than seven consolidated patient accounting centers for conducting industry-modeled regionalized billing and collection activities of the Department.“(b) Functions.—The centers shall carry out the following functions:“(1) Reengineer and integrate all business processes of the revenue cycle of the Department.“(2) Standardize and coordinate all activities of the Department related to the revenue cycle for all health care services furnished to veterans for non-service-connected medical conditions.“(3) Apply commercial industry standards for measures of access, timeliness, and performance metrics with respect to revenue enhancement of the Department.“(4) Apply other requirements with respect to such revenue cycle improvement as the Secretary may specify.” .122 STAT. 4130(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1729A the following: “1729B. Consolidated patient accounting centers.”.