WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the VA Same-Day Scheduling Act to ensure Veterans get the timely attention and treatment they deserve when they contact the VA. 

“America’s Veterans and servicemembers put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and they deserve the best possible medical care,” said Rep. Owens. “Currently, delays and inefficient scheduling systems plague VA hospitals nationwide. The VA Same-Day Scheduling Act will streamline the appointment scheduling process, prioritize patients, and deliver top-of-the-line medical care to our veterans and servicemembers.” 

Background on the VA Same-Day Scheduling Act: 

The VA Same-Day Scheduling Act improves veterans’ experiences with the VA by prioritizing customer service. This commonsense legislation guarantees that any Veteran who makes a phone call requesting care is able to schedule their appointment during that phone call.

The VA Same-Day Scheduling Act is narrow in scope to guarantee priority for an established patient of the VA. This bill is also specific to care administered by the VA to avoid issues carrying out this task related to the community care system. The VA Same-Day Scheduling Act removes any ambiguity in scheduling VA-provided care over the telephone and provides the Department considerable flexibility by making the bill applicable 120 days after enactment, allowing ample time for appropriate adoption of this law.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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