II
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 372
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 23, 2021
Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Boozman, and Mrs. Capito) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a contract or other agreement with a third party to review appointees in the Veterans Health Administration who had a license terminated for cause by a State licensing board for care or services rendered at a non-Veterans Health Administration facility and to provide individuals treated by such an appointee with notice if it is determined that an episode of care or services that they received was below the standard of care, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act
.
Third party review of appointees in Veterans Health Administration who had a license terminated for cause and notice to individuals treated by those appointees if determined that an episode of care or services that they received was below the standard of care
Third party review
In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract or other agreement with an organization that is not part of the Federal Government to conduct a clinical review for quality management of hospital care or medical services furnished by covered providers.
Qualifications
The Secretary shall ensure that each review of a covered provider under this subsection is performed by an individual who is licensed in the same specialty as the covered provider.
Notice to patients treated by covered providers
With respect to hospital care or medical services furnished by a covered provider under the laws administered by the Secretary, if a clinical review for quality management under subsection (a) determines that the standard of care was not met during an episode of care, the Secretary shall notify the individual who received such care or services from the covered provider as described in applicable policy of the Veterans Heath Administration.
Definitions
In this section:
Covered provider
The term covered provider means an individual who—
was appointed to the Veterans Health Administration under section 7401 of title 38, United States Code; and
had a license terminated for cause by a State licensing board for hospital care or medical services provided in a facility that is not a facility of the Veterans Health Administration.
Hospital care or medical services
The terms hospital care and medical services have the meanings given those terms in section 1701 of title 38, United States Code.