80 FR 47562 - Publication of Wait-Times for the Department for the Veterans Choice Program

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 152 (August 7, 2015)

In keeping with its commitment to improve transparency, the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) publishes wait-times for the scheduling of appointments in each VA facility for primary care, specialty care, and mental health services twice each month. VA also publishes a Federal Register Notice every 90 days with the address of the Web site where this wait-time data can be accessed. This Notice announces the availability of the data on that Web site.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47562-47563]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19414]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Publication of Wait-Times for the Department for the Veterans 
Choice Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In keeping with its commitment to improve transparency, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) publishes wait-times for the 
scheduling of appointments in each VA facility for primary care, 
specialty care, and mental health services twice each month. VA also 
publishes a Federal Register Notice every 90 days with the address of 
the Web site where this wait-time data can be accessed. This Notice 
announces the availability of the data on that Web site.

ADDRESSES: The wait-time data for all Veterans Health Administration 
(VHA) medical centers and clinics is available on the following Web 
site: http://www.va.gov/health/access-audit.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Joe Francis, Director, Clinical 
Analytics and Reporting, Veterans Health Administration, 810 Vermont 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420 Telephone: (202) 302-3310. (This is 
not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 206 of the Veterans Access, Choice, 
and Accountability Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-146, ``the Act'') directed 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of the Act, to publish in the Federal 
Register, and on a publicly-accessible Internet Web site of each VA 
Medical Center, the wait-times for the scheduling of an appointment in 
each

[[Page 47563]]

VA facility for the receipt of primary care, specialty care, and 
hospital care and medical services based on the general severity of the 
condition of the veteran. Whenever the wait-times for the scheduling of 
such an appointment change, the Act also requires the Secretary to 
publish the revised wait-times on a publicly-accessible Internet Web 
site of each VA Medical Center not later than 30 days after such change 
and in the Federal Register not later than 90 days after such change.
    VA publishes wait-times for the scheduling of appointments in each 
VA facility for primary care, specialty care, and mental health 
services twice each month. VA also publishes a Federal Register Notice 
every 90 days to notify the public of the availability of this wait-
time data. This wait-time data uses the Veteran's preferred date or the 
clinically appropriate date for scheduling an appointment.
    The wait-time data report, which also includes data at the 
Community-Based Outpatient Clinic level for all VA facilities, can be 
found using the following link: http://www.va.gov/health/access-audit.asp.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Robert L. 
Nabors II, Chief of Staff, approved this document on August 3, 2015, 
for publication.

    Dated: August 4, 2015.
William F. Russo,
Acting Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-19414 Filed 8-6-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P