PLAN FOR TIMELY SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

SEC. 153. PLAN FOR TIMELY SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. (a) Plan Required.—To improve responsiveness in the provision of hospital care and medical services at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a plan to— (1) ensure that whenever a covered veteran contacts the Department by telephone to request the scheduling of an appointment for care or services for the covered veteran at such a facility, the scheduling for the appointment occurs during that telephone call (regardless of the prospective date of the appointment being scheduled); and (2) provide timely and, where applicable, same-day scheduling for an appointment described in paragraph (1). (b) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the plan under subsection (a). (c) Covered Veteran Defined.—In this section, the term “covered veteran” means a veteran who is enrolled in the system of patient enrollment of the Department under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code.