,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ffc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ae1         
#bjag,mr4 ,thune introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
establish the position of ,choice       
,program ,ombudsman within the ,office  
of ,inspector ,general of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
manage complaints regarding the         
provision of hospital care and medical  
services under section #aja of the      
,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and         
,accountability ,act of #bjad4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,choice ,program          
,resolution ,act4  #b4 ,establishment of
 position of ,choice ,program ,ombudsman
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,veterans        
,access1 ,choice1 and ,accountability   
,act of #bjad 7,public ,law #aac-adf2   
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 is amended by 
inserting after section #aja the        

following new section3  #aja;,a4 ,choice
 ,program ,ombudsman  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,inspector ,general of the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs shall 
select1 from among employees of the     
,office of ,inspector ,general of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 a    
,choice ,program ,ombudsman to manage   
complaints regarding the provision of   
hospital care and medical services under
 section #aja4  7b7 ,duties ,the ,choice
 ,program ,ombudsman shall do the       
following3 7#a7 ,serve as a central     
collection point to receive complaints  
from veterans1 individuals acting on    
behalf of veterans 7including family    
members and caregivers71 employees of   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
and non-,department health care         
providers with respect to the following3
  7,a7 ,problems with scheduling        
veterans to obtain hospital care or     
medical services under section #aja4    
7,b7 ,problems with authorizing such    
care or services under such section4    

7,c7 ,with respect to non-,department   
health care providers1 problems with    
enrolling with the ,department to       
provide such care or services under such
 section4  7,d7 ,problems with          
copayments and reimbursements under such
 section4  7,e7 ,problems with          
coordinating such care or services      
between the ,department and             
non-,department health care providers4  
7#b7 ,establish a methodology to resolve
 complaints described in paragraph 7#a74
  7#c7 ,submit to the ,committee on     
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives a       
quarterly report on activities conducted
 under this section1 including the      
following information3  7,a7 ,the total 
number of complaints received under this
 section4  7,b7 ,the total number of    
such complaints that have been resolved 
and the total number of such complaints 
that are pending4  7,c7 ,with respect to
 every other report submitted under this

 paragraph1 beginning with the first    
such report1 the findings or            
recommendations of the ,choice ,program 
,ombudsman for resolving systemic       
problems with the provision of hospital 
care and medical services under section 
#aja1 including recommendations to      
improve the implementation of such      
section in rural and highly rural areas 
and for veterans who are members of     
,indian tribes4  7c7 ,complaint         
submission process ,the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs shall publish on a   
publicly available ,internet website of 
the ,department1 and a publicly         
available ,internet website of the      
,office of ,inspector ,general of the   
,department1 information regarding the  
process for submitting a complaint to   
the ,choice ,program ,ombudsman under   
this section4  7d7 ,sunset ,this section
 shall terminate on the earlier of--    
7#a7 the termination date specified in  
section #aja7p72 or  7#b7 the date that 
is #aj years after the date of the      

enactment of the ,veterans ,choice      
,program ,resolution ,act4  7e7 ,indian 
tribe defined ,in this section1 the term
 ,indian tribe has the meaning given    
that term in section #d of the ,indian  
,self-,determination and ,education     
,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #dej;b74
  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table 
of contents at the beginning of the     
,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and         
,accountability ,act of #bjad is amended
 by inserting after the item relating to
 section #aja the following new item3   
,sec4 #aja;,a4 ,choice ,program         
,ombudsman4  4