Description:
S. 123 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into a contract with an independent entity to review the quality of health care provided by VA employees who have had their medical license revoked in any state. In addition, the bill would require VA to notify all veterans who were treated by those health care providers, if the department determines that the medical services they received did not meet VA’s quality standards. Currently, VA contracts with several companies to review the medical practices of the department’s health care providers. In 2019, those contractors reviewed the work of 17 medical providers at VA to evaluate the quality of the care they provided because of concerns about their clinical competence. CBO expects that as part of those evaluations, VA would review the performance of providers whose licenses were revoked. Additionally, the department has systems in place to communicate with veterans about the care they receive. Thus, S. 123 would codify VA’s current practices. As a result, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would not affect the federal budget.
