A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly select a joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- S. 3515
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-12T22:41:34Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to create a unified system for verifying and authorizing medical providers (known as credentialing and privileging) across the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Credentialing verifies a provider's education, training, and licenses, while privileging grants permission to perform specific medical procedures. The goal is to improve efficiency, portability of information, and coordination between the two departments to better serve military personnel and veterans.
Key Provisions
- Report Requirement: Within 120 days of enactment, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must submit a joint report to congressional committees. The report, prepared with input from the Domestic Policy Council, covers:
- Scope and scale of current DoD and VA credentialing systems.
- Types of data stored in each system.
- Portability of provider information (how easily it transfers between systems).
- Interoperability (how well systems communicate and share data).
- Risk management, adverse actions (like disciplinary records), and governance.
- Limitations, gaps, and recommendations to create a single uniform system.
- System Selection: By January 1, 2027, the Secretaries must jointly choose one existing system from DoD or VA to serve as the uniform system for both departments, again consulting the Domestic Policy Council.
- System Capabilities: The selected system must be able to import and share provider credentialing and privileging data between DoD and VA.
- Implementation Certification: By January 1, 2028, the Secretaries must certify to Congress that the system is fully implemented and operational.
- Definition: "Appropriate committees of Congress" include the Senate and House Committees on Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces new mandates for DoD and VA to unify their separate credentialing and privileging systems, which currently operate independently. It does not amend specific prior laws but establishes timelines and requirements for interoperability, addressing gaps in data sharing that previously hindered coordination between the departments.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: DoD and VA would benefit from reduced administrative duplication, lower costs, and faster provider onboarding, potentially improving operational efficiency in military and veterans' healthcare facilities.
- On Citizens: Service members, veterans, and their families could experience smoother transitions in care (e.g., from active-duty military hospitals to VA facilities) with more portable provider records, leading to quicker access to consistent medical services.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. military and veterans' healthcare systems.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of Defense (DoD): Military healthcare providers and facilities, including those serving active-duty personnel.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): VA hospitals and clinics providing care to veterans.
- Medical Providers: Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals working for or with DoD and VA, who must navigate credentialing processes.
- Congressional Committees: Senate and House Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees, which oversee implementation and receive reports.
- Patients: Primarily U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their dependents, who rely on these systems for healthcare access.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes enforceable deadlines and certification requirements, potentially subject to congressional oversight or judicial review if not met. It promotes data sharing while implying privacy protections under existing laws like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), though not explicitly addressed.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority under Article I to regulate federal agencies and military affairs, without raising separation-of-powers concerns.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (by Sens. Blackburn and Rosen) signals broad support for enhancing veteran and military care efficiency. It could set a precedent for further inter-agency collaborations in healthcare, influencing future budgets and policy on federal system integrations.
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
- 2025-12-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2025-12-16: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly select a joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-12-16 — PDF (4 pages)