S. 607 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit to the Congress a plan to improve the process for scheduling health care appointments and to fully implement that plan within two years of enactment. The bill would require VA to develop an online platform that would allow veterans to schedule their own appointments, expand support for telephonic scheduling, and improve the scheduling tools available to VA employees. The bill would require VA to periodically update the Congress on its progress towards implementing those changes.
According to VA, the department is already undertaking many of the activities that would be required by the bill. The department is currently developing scheduling systems for veterans and employees, and expanding self-scheduling capabilities. In total, satisfying the bill’s planning and reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000 over the 2026-2030 period, CBO estimates. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Noah Callahan. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
