[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4265-H4267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF WOMEN VETERANS' CARE ACT OF 2018
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4334) to provide for certain reporting requirements
relating to medical care for women veterans provided by the Department
of Veterans Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs with non-Department medical providers, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4334
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Oversight of Women
Veterans' Care Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON VETERAN ACCESS TO COVERED SEX-
SPECIFIC SERVICES UNDER COMMUNITY CARE
CONTRACTS.
(a) Annual Report.--The Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the House of Representatives an annual report on
the access of women veterans to covered sex-specific medical
care under contracts with non-Department medical providers
entered into by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the
provision of hospital care or medical services to veterans
eligible for enrollment in the patient enrollment system of
the Department of Veterans Affairs maintained under section
1705 of title 38, United States Code. Such report shall
include data and performance measures for the availability of
covered sex-specific medical care, including--
(1) the average wait time between the veteran's preferred
appointment date and the date on which the appointment is
completed;
(2) driving time required for veterans to attend
appointments; and
(3) reasons why appointments could not be scheduled with
non-Department medical providers.
(b) Sunset.--The requirement to submit a report under this
section shall terminate on the date that is seven years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Covered Sex-Specific Medical Care.--In this section,
the term ``covered sex-specific medical care'' means
mammography, maternity care, and gynecological care.
SEC. 3. REPORTING ON VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
ENVIRONMENT OF CARE STANDARDS FOR WOMEN
VETERANS.
(a) Medical Facility Reporting.--Each medical facility of
the Department shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs a quarterly report on the compliance and
noncompliance of the facility with the environment of care
standards for women veterans. Each such report shall include
the name of each person associated with such facility who is
responsible for such compliance and the specific role or
responsibility assigned to each such person.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs
of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on
the plan of the Secretary to strengthen the environment of
care standards for women veterans at Department of Veterans
Affairs medical facilities. Such report shall include--
(1) a description of the process established to verify that
noncompliance information reported under subsection (a) is
accurate and complete; and
(2) a description of the method by which the Secretary
will--
(A) ensure that all patient care areas of each Department
medical facility are inspected as required; and
(B) expand the list of items that facility staff inspect
for compliance to align with the women's health handbook of
the Veterans Health Administration.
(c) Sunset.--The requirement to submit a report under this
section shall terminate on the date that is seven years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Environment of Care Standards for Women Veterans.--In
this section, the term ``environment of care standards for
women veterans'' has the meaning given that term in Veterans
Health Administration Directive 1330.01(1).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 4334, as
amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, as amended,
Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2018.
While VA has vastly improved its capacity to care for gender-specific
needs of women veterans, many are still referred to the community when
VA cannot provide the appropriate services.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the House overwhelmingly approved the VA
MISSION Act by a vote of 347-70. The MISSION Act will, among other
things, improve the ability for eligible veterans to seek care from
community providers when VA cannot meet strict access standards.
With more veterans becoming eligible to seek care in the community,
it is incumbent upon us as members of the House VA Committee to provide
oversight over the care delivered within the community as well.
This bill, offered by my friend and fellow committee member from
California (Mr. Correa), would help us do just that. H.R. 4334 would
require VA medical centers to report to the Secretary on the compliance
of contracted community providers with standards of care for women
veterans, as established by VA.
The Secretary would also be required to report to Congress on the
accessibility of gender-specific medical care for women with community
providers, as well as to develop a plan to strengthen standards of care
within the facilities.
Mr. Speaker, as we await Senate passage of the VA MISSION Act, I urge
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my colleagues to support this complementary piece of legislation, H.R.
4334, as amended, Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of Congressman Correa's and Chairman Roe's bill,
H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.
The gentleman from California has proven over the course of his time
in Congress that he is a dedicated advocate for our fastest growing
population of veterans: female veterans. His experience working on
behalf of veterans in the State of California in the legislature has
translated into an informed compassion that has earned the respect of
the committee.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4334 does require VA to exercise proper oversight
of community care providers it contracts with in order to provide sex-
specific healthcare to women when its facilities do not have the
equipment or the specialists necessary to care for them.
The latest study by the RAND Corporation confirms that VA delivers
superior healthcare to veterans, when compared to the private sector.
Previous independent studies confirm this.
For this reason, VA should better monitor the quality of care
received by women in the community, and this bill would require that
careful monitoring so that women veterans receive high-quality care.
VA should always remain at the center of managing veterans'
healthcare. And managing the care veterans receive in the community by
only contracting with high-quality providers with the competence to
provide treatment to veterans is a major part of ensuring that they
receive the highest quality care.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa), the chief author of this bill and a good
friend to veterans across the country.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan
legislation, H.R. 4334, the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care
Act.
Women are the fastest growing cohort of veterans. There are currently
2 million women veterans in the United States and Puerto Rico, almost
10 percent of the overall veteran population.
According to some projections, women veterans are expected to grow to
represent 15 percent of all veterans by 2030. Therefore, it is
important that we ensure that women veterans receive quality care in a
safe and dignified environment, as well as in a timely manner, in and
outside the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Specifically, this bill will require an annual report on veteran
access to gender-specific care under community care contracts and
quarterly reports on environment of care standards for women veterans.
In conclusion, I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Ranking
Member Walz, and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Brownley for the
support of this legislation. I thank Chairman Roe as well.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4334.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Correa's legislation. I, too, was, an
OB/GYN physician who saw VA patients. I would like to think that Mr.
Correa had all these ideas himself, but I have had the opportunity to
find out that he definitely married above himself. His wife is an OB/
GYN, so I think he probably got most of those ideas from her.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Brownley), a champion of veterans--a champion in many
areas--and on this issue of treating our female veterans with the
dignity, respect, and services that they have earned.
Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman
from Minnesota for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4334, the Improving
Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act.
I want to thank my colleague on the committee, the gentleman from
California, for introducing this important legislation to improve the
care we deliver for women veterans.
During my time on this committee, I have made it a special priority
to ensure women veterans have access to high-quality, gender-specific
care in a safe and welcoming environment. This bill will advance that
goal in two important ways.
First, it requires the VA to practice additional oversight on the
community care providers that the VA contracts with and report on the
access women veterans have to gender-specific medical care in the
community. This is especially timely, as the House recently passed a
bipartisan update to the VA's community care programs. As we stand up
the new community care program, we need to do a better job tracking the
quality of care provided to women veterans.
Second, this bill requires the VA to report to Congress on their
compliance with environment of care standards for women veterans.
Too often, we have heard reports of women veterans who experience
issues at VA clinics. A VA Inspector General's report last year found
that up to 20 percent of VA clinics did not meet the VA's own
requirements for protecting the privacy of women veterans. This is
unacceptable. We need to ensure that women veterans are well served, no
matter where they get their care, and this bill will help us get closer
to that goal.
I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I thank the gentleman from
California for his efforts.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly encourage my colleagues to
vote ``yes'' on this important piece of legislation, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
I also concur with my colleague: I urge support of H.R. 4334. I just
want to say, right before Memorial Day, it is obviously next week, and
many people will go home to picnics and families. We have just heard
this afternoon on the House floor the sacrifice of many, many of our
veterans and really amazing people that live in our country.
In the past week, the Veterans' Affairs Committee--and I want to
thank members on both sides of the aisle--have put together 15 bills:
one was a major bill, the VA MISSION Act, which will be taken up by the
Senate this week, and 14 bills this afternoon to improve both the care
and services provided to our Nation's heroes.
For me, it is a true privilege to get up every day and come to this
House, to this body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and to advocate
for those men and women that I have so much respect for.
And with that, Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Memorial Day to everyone,
and I encourage everyone to vote for this today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4334,
the Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2017.
H.R. 4334 provides for certain reporting requirements relating to
medical care for women veterans provided by the Department of Veterans
Affairs and through contracts entered into by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs with non-Department medical providers.
By passing this bill ensuring these requirements, we are ensuring
equitable attention to health care for veteran men and women.
Such requirements include an annual report to Congress on veteran
access to covered sex-specific services such as mammography, maternity
care, and gynecological care under community care contracts.
Our United States veterans bravely put their lives on the line to
defend our freedoms and to keep our nation safe.
I want to thank all of our armed serviceman and women for their
selfless dedication to our nation.
The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable because their
sacrifices, and those of their families, are our freedom's foundation.
Mr. Speaker, of the nation's 21.6 million brave veterans, more than 2
million are women.
Further, 20 percent of veterans who have served on active duty since
September 2001 are women.
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Male and female veterans alike deserve access to health care, and
this bill will ensure that discrepancies in care among male and female
veterans can be identified and addressed.
I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 4334.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 4334, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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