Title 38 › PART II — GENERAL BENEFITS › CHAPTER 17 — HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL › § 1703C
The Secretary must set clear quality standards for VA hospital, medical, and extended care services, including care given by non-VA providers. Those standards must use existing health measures that let veterans compare VA and non-VA care. They must match industry standards so data can move smoothly between VA and outside providers. The Secretary must collect and use data, including a veteran satisfaction survey (made after talking with veterans’ groups and other stakeholders) of veterans who used VA care in the last 2 years. Required data must cover timely care, effective care, safety (like complications, readmissions, and deaths), efficiency, and effects on patients’ quality of life. The Secretary must work with other federal agencies (for example, Defense, HHS, CMS, and Indian Health Service), private groups, and third-party administrators, use up-to-date data methods, avoid over- or under-analyzing measures, and use data scientists efficiently. The Secretary must update the standards at least once every 5 years and send a report to the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days after any update. At least every 3 years the VA must publish facility quality ratings on the Hospital Compare website run by CMS. Within 2 years after creating or changing the standards, the Secretary must ask for and consider public comments on the measures used. Appropriate committees of Congress means the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations committees. Covered veterans means those named in section 1703(b).
Full Legal Text
Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 1703C
Title 38, Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110