,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afef  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc       
7legislative day1 ,may #bb71 #bjai,mr4  
,manchin introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to modify the transition period
 between care and services provided     
under the ,veterans ,choice ,program and
 care and services provided under the   
,veterans ,community ,care ,program1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,affairs ,saving ,network ,appointments
 ,from ,upheaval ,act or the ,,va       
,,snafu ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress  
finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,veterans
 ,health ,administration is the largest 
integrated health care system in the    
,united ,states1 providing care at      
approximately #a1bej health care        
facilities1 including #agb medical      
centers and #a1jfi outpatient sites of  
care of varying complexity 7referred to 

as outpatient clinics71 and serving     
approximately #i1jjj1jjj veterans each  
year4  7#b7 ,on ,june #f1 #bjah1 the    
,john ,s4 ,mc,cain ,,iii1 ,daniel ,k4   
,akaka1 and ,samuel ,r4 ,johnson ,,va   
,maintaining ,internal ,systems and     
,strengthening ,integrated ,outside     
,networks ,act of #bjah or the ,,va     
,,mission ,act of #bjah 7,public ,law   
#aae-ahb7 was signed into law1          
establishing a new permanent ,veterans  
,community ,care ,program to replace the
 current ,veterans ,choice ,program     
under section #aja of the ,veterans     
,access1 ,choice1 and ,accountability   
,act of #bjad 7,public ,law #aac-adf2   
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note74  7#c7        
,section #gccj;,c of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 as added by section #ajf 
of the ,,va ,mission ,act of #bjah1     
requires the ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs to conduct market assessments  
of community care4  7#d7 ,those         
assessments assess1 among other factors1
 the following3 7,a7 ,the demand for    

health care from the ,department4  7,b7 
,the capacity of the ,department to     
provide health care4  7,c7 ,the capacity
 of providers under the ,veterans       
,community ,care ,program4  7,d7 ,the   
capacity of academic affiliates and     
other ,federal partners that provide    
health care to veterans4  7#e7 ,proposed
 access standards for the ,veterans     
,community ,care ,program1 including a  
never-before-tested drive-time standard1
 were released by the ,department in    
,january #bjai and could impact half of 
all veterans enrolled in the patient    
enrollment system of the ,department4   
7#f7 ,the market assessments described  
in paragraph 7#c7 have not been         
completed by the ,department1 so        
veterans using the new ,veterans        
,community ,care ,program will not have 
a full picture of whether care in the   
community is as good or better than care
 at facilities of the ,department4  #c4 
,modification of transition from        
,veterans ,choice ,program to ,veterans 

,community ,care ,program  7a7          
,effective date of ,veterans ,community 
,care ,program ,subsection 7b7 of       
section #aja of the ,caring for ,our    
,veterans ,act of #bjah 7title ,i of    
,public ,law #aae-ahb7 is amended to    
read as follows3  7b7 ,effective date   
,section #agjc of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 as amended by subsection 
7a71 shall take effect on the date on   
which the first market area assessment  
under section #gccj;,c of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 as added by      
section #ajf7;a7 of this ,act1 is       
completed4  4  7b7 ,continuation of     
,veterans ,choice ,program ,subsection  
7p7 of section #aja of the ,veterans    
,access1 ,choice1 and ,accountability   
,act of #bjad 7,public ,law #aac-adf2   
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note7 is amended to 
read as follows3  7p7 ,authority ,to    
furnish care and services  7#a7 ,in     
general ,except as provided in paragraph
 7#b71 the ,secretary may not use the   
authority under this section to furnish 

care and services after ,june #f1 #bjai4
  7#b7 ,exception ,the ,secretary may   
use the authority under this section to 
furnish care and services after the date
 specified in paragraph 7#a7 to the     
extent necessary to provide care and    
services to eligible veterans until the 
,secretary has entered into contracts to
 provide care and services to such      
eligible veterans under section #agjc of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as in
 effect on the date specified in section
 #aja7;b7 of the ,caring for ,our       
,veterans ,act of #bjah 7title ,i of    
,public ,law #aae-ahb74  4