To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the availability of care for veterans at facilities of the Department of Defense.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6595
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-18: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-15T07:00:33Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill (H.R. 6595) aims to enhance the availability of health care for enrolled veterans—those registered in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient enrollment system—by improving coordination and resource sharing between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA at military and VA medical facilities. It builds on existing laws allowing such sharing to address gaps in veteran care access, particularly at DoD facilities with unused capacity.
Key Provisions
- Action Plans Development: The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must create and implement plans at "covered facilities" (DoD military medical treatment facilities or VA medical centers) to:
- Strengthen resource sharing between DoD and VA.
- Improve communication between VA and DoD facility leaders.
- Increase use of DoD facilities with excess space or capacity.
- Boost training opportunities for medical education programs in both departments.
- Expand care access for enrolled veterans near DoD facilities with spare capacity.
- Elements of Action Plans: Plans must include:
- Cross-credentialing (allowing health care providers to work across both departments) and privileging (granting permission to treat patients) for joint care.
- Faster entry to military bases for VA staff and veterans.
- A designated coordinator at each facility to oversee implementation.
- Ongoing monitoring with performance goals and data collection.
- Integration of IT systems for seamless sharing of medical records, referrals, billing, and workload tracking.
- Oversight for handling medical errors or complaints, including tracking significant incidents.
- Other relevant measures as determined by the Secretaries.
- Approval and Sharing Agreements: Plans require approval from the DoD-VA Joint Executive Committee, local DoD commanders, and VA medical center directors. Each sharing agreement (formal pacts for resource use between DoD and VA) needs a lead coordinator, and a public website list of all such agreements must be maintained.
- Patient Safety and Accountability:
- A secure, confidential complaint system for veterans, protecting against retaliation and ensuring reports reach both departments.
- Joint quarterly reviews of complaints, adverse events (unintended harm), and safety issues.
- Immediate referral of abuse, neglect, or misconduct allegations to the Inspectors General of both departments.
- Temporary suspension of veteran referrals to problematic providers or facilities during investigations.
- Reporting to Congress: Action plans must be submitted within 30 days of completion. Annual joint briefings are required starting one year later, covering progress, patient numbers, provider credentials, costs (including use of a shared health care fund), effectiveness metrics, safety summaries, and IT integration challenges.
- Limitations and Duration: The bill does not force veterans to use DoD facilities or count them as VA facilities for eligibility purposes. It sunsets (expires) on September 30, 2028.
- Definitions: Key terms include "enrolled veteran" (VA-registered patients), "sharing agreement" (resource-sharing pacts under existing laws), and "appropriate committees of Congress" (Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees in both chambers).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This legislation expands on current authorities under sections 8111 of Title 38, U.S. Code (VA-DoD sharing) and 1104 of Title 10, U.S. Code (DoD-VA health care pacts) by mandating detailed action plans, coordinators, public transparency for agreements, dedicated complaint mechanisms, and annual congressional briefings. It introduces new requirements for IT integration, cross-credentialing, and joint oversight of safety incidents, but does not create entirely new programs—instead, it enforces and structures existing sharing frameworks.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: DoD and VA will face increased administrative coordination, IT upgrades, and reporting burdens, potentially leading to more efficient use of facilities and reduced duplication. Costs may rise initially for implementation but could be offset by a shared incentive fund and better resource utilization.
- On Citizens: Enrolled veterans, especially those near military bases, could gain quicker access to care, higher-quality services through joint expertise, and stronger protections against poor treatment. However, benefits are limited to facilities with sharing agreements and expire in 2028.
- On International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. military and veteran health systems.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Enrolled Veterans: Primary beneficiaries, with improved care access and complaint safeguards.
- DoD and VA Personnel: Health care providers and leaders must adapt to cross-credentialing, IT changes, and joint oversight.
- DoD and VA Facilities: Military treatment centers and VA medical centers will see increased veteran patient loads and operational integration.
- Congressional Committees: Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs panels gain oversight through submissions and briefings.
- Inspectors General: Both departments' oversight offices will handle more referrals for investigations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens accountability by requiring documented safety reviews and Inspector General involvement, potentially reducing litigation risks from medical errors. The sunset clause allows for future evaluation without permanent entrenchment.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; it aligns with Congress's authority over military and veteran affairs under Article I, without infringing on individual rights.
- Political: Promotes bipartisan collaboration between DoD and VA, addressing veteran care backlogs—a recurring issue in U.S. policy. The focus on excess capacity could appeal to fiscal conservatives by maximizing existing infrastructure, while emphasizing patient safety resonates with advocacy groups. Referral to multiple committees signals potential for amendments during debate.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-18: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 2025-12-10: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-10: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-10: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the availability of care for veterans at facilities of the Department of Defense. — issued 2025-12-10 — PDF (11 pages)