Wichita Standard

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) recently introduced legislation aimed at enhancing the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) ability to schedule appointments with healthcare providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program.

The proposed legislation seeks to expand the VA's use of the External Provider Scheduling (EPS) Program, allowing for real-time scheduling within the Veterans Integrated Service Network. This initiative is intended to reduce appointment wait times.

“I have been monitoring the successful rollout of the EPS program and am encouraged by initial results showing faster scheduling of critical health care appointments for veterans,” said Sen. Moran. “Veterans should be able to access the care they need as quickly and as close to home as possible. This legislation will enable VA to move forward with this important program to increase access to timely care for veterans everywhere.”

Sen. Fischer emphasized the bill's potential impact on rural areas: “Our veterans’ needs should come first, and the EPS bill will make sure those needs are met in rural areas. It will harness new technology to improve care coordination between the VA and rural providers, streamlining the scheduling process for veterans. I look forward to working with my colleagues to take care of our veterans by passing this legislation.”

According to reports, EPS has already made community care scheduling 65% faster in its initial phases, increasing scheduler productivity from seven appointments a day to more than 20.

The full text of the legislation is available online.