HR2068-119

What This Bill Does

The Veterans Patient Advocacy Act targets a practical access gap in VA health care. It amends title 38 section 7309A so the VA patient advocacy program must ensure rural veterans can access patient advocate services. The bill specifically points to assigning patient advocates to rural community-based outpatient clinics when practicable, so rural veterans do not have to navigate complaints, care coordination, eligibility questions, or facility concerns only through larger VA medical centers. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must implement the change within two years, and GAO must report to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees within two years evaluating implementation.

Who Benefits and How

Rural veterans benefit because patient advocate services must be available to them, including through community-based outpatient clinics when practicable. Veterans using rural CBOCs benefit from closer help resolving care access, scheduling, benefits, and quality concerns. VA patient advocates benefit from clearer statutory responsibility for serving rural facilities. Congressional veterans committees benefit from a GAO implementation report within two years.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of Veterans Affairs must implement rural patient-advocate access across the VA system within two years. Rural VA clinic administrators must support patient advocate access or assignment when practicable. VA medical center directors must coordinate advocates beyond main campuses to community-based outpatient clinics. GAO must evaluate VA implementation and report to Congress.

Key Provisions

• Requires VA to ensure rural veterans can access patient advocate services.
• Directs practicable assignment of patient advocates to rural community-based outpatient clinics.
• Provides a two-year implementation deadline for the Veterans Health Administration.
• Requires GAO to evaluate implementation for congressional veterans committees within two years.