S.Amdt. 4467

SA 4467. Mr. JOHNSON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle I of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1097. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION ON PROVISION OF HEALTH
CARE BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND
ABUSE OF OPIOIDS BY VETERANS.

(a) Publication of Information.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less
frequently than once every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs shall publish on a publicly available
Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs
information on the provision of health care by the Department
and the abuse of opioids by veterans.
(b) Elements.--
(1) Health care.--
(A) In general.--Each publication required by subsection
(a) shall include, with respect to each medical facility of
the Department during the 180-day period preceding such
publication, the following:
(i) The average number of patients seen per month by each
primary care physician.
(ii) The average length of stay for inpatient care.
(iii) A description of any hospital-acquired condition
acquired by a patient.
(iv) The rate of readmission of patients within 30 days of
release.
(v) The rate at which opioids are prescribed to each
patient.
(vi) The average wait time for emergency room treatment.
(vii) A description of any scheduling backlog with respect
to patient appointments.
(B) Additional elements.--The Secretary may include in each
publication required by subsection (a) such additional
information on the safety of medical facilities of the
Department, health outcomes at such facilities, and quality
of care at such facilities as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(C) Searchability.--The Secretary shall ensure that
information described in subparagraph (A) that is included on
the Internet website required by subsection (a) is searchable
by State, city, and facility.
(2) Opioid abuse by veterans.--Each publication required by
subsection (a) shall include, for the 180-day period
preceding such publication, the following information:
(A) The number of veterans prescribed opioids by health
care providers of the Department.
(B) A comprehensive list of all facilities of the
Department offering an opioid treatment program, including
details on the types of services available at each facility.
(C) The number of veterans treated by a health care
provider of the Department for opioid abuse.
(D) Of the veterans described in subparagraph (C), the
number treated for opioid abuse in conjunction with
posttraumic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety.
(E) With respect to veterans receiving treatment for opioid
abuse--
(i) the average number of times veterans reported abusing
opioids before beginning such treatment; and
(ii) the main reasons reported to the Department by
veterans as to how they came to receive such treatment,
including self-referral or recommendation by a physician or
family member.
(c) Personal Information.--The Secretary shall ensure that
personal information connected to information published under
subsection (a) is protected from disclosure as required by
applicable law.
(d) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to Congress a
report setting forth recommendations for additional elements
to be included with the information published under
subsection (a) to improve the evaluation and assessment of
the safety and health of individuals receiving health care
under the laws administered by the Secretary and the quality
of health care received by such individuals.
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