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Improvement of telephone communication by Department of Veterans Affairs

Title IV: Organization

Plain-language summaryAI

The Department of Veterans Affairs must make sure that calls to veterans about services come from a single, recognizable phone number with clear caller ID showing the call is from the Department. The Veterans Health Administration must have at least one call center in each major U.S. time zone to help with health care appointments and referrals, coordinating with existing call centers where possible. The Department must also report annually on call center performance and efforts to prevent fraud.

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Section Text · Sec. 404.
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(a) In general

Chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

6321. Telephone communication

(a) Calls associated with Department

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act , the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable and feasible, that any call made to a veteran, beneficiary, claimant, or other relevant individual by an employee or contractor of the Department regarding services or benefits furnished by the Department—

(1)

is made from a single, well-known telephone number; and

(2)

uses caller identification branding that indicates to the individual that the call is from or on behalf of the Department.

(b) Call centers for health care appointments and referrals

(1) In general

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act , the Secretary shall ensure that the Veterans Health Administration has at least one call center in each of the time zones specified in paragraph (3) to address concerns regarding appointments and referrals for health care under the laws administered by the Secretary.

(2) Existing efforts and call centers

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary—

(A)

shall ensure coordination with existing efforts of the Department to improve call center operations; and

(B)

may use existing call centers to meet the requirements of such paragraph.

(3) Time zones specified

The time zones specified in this paragraph are the following:

(A)

Eastern time.

(B)

Central time.

(C)

Mountain time.

(D)

Pacific time.

(E)

Alaska time.

(F)

Hawaii time.

(4) Clarification

The Secretary is not required to ensure that the Veterans Health Administration has a call center in any location generally within a time zone specified in paragraph (3) that does not follow daylight saving time.

(b) Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

(c) Report

Not later than 180 days after enactment, and annually for three years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs a report on implementation, including call-answer rates, abandoned-call rates, average wait times, veteran complaints, spoofing or fraud-prevention measures, and any exceptions granted.