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HR 1577 IH

To create a Department of Defense-wide program of patient navigators for wounded members of the Armed Forces.

March 20, 2007

Mr. SHAYS (for himself, Mr. BUCHANAN, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

To create a Department of Defense-wide program of patient navigators for wounded members of the Armed Forces.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Wounded Warriors Joint Health Care Patient Navigators Act'.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-WIDE PATIENT NAVIGATOR PROGRAM FOR WOUNDED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

(a) Establishment- The Secretary of Defense shall establish a Department of Defense-wide patient navigator program and assign the responsibility for overseeing the program to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

(b) Function- Under the program, patient navigators shall be assigned as representatives to medical holdover patients and their families in order to improve health care outcomes.

(c) Qualifications of Patient Navigators- To qualify as a patient navigator, a person shall successfully undergo extensive and regular training on all medical and administrative processes within the medical holdover system of the Department of Defense and specifically within the military installation to which the navigator is assigned. A person acting as a patient navigator may not be a member of the Armed Forces or an employee of the Department of Defense. The Secretary of Defense shall enter into contracts to acquire the services of patient navigators.

(d) Number of Patient Navigators- Under the program, there shall be a standard number of patient navigators at any military medical treatment facility or other medical retention facility, with the ratio of navigators to patients no higher than 1 to 10.

(e) Authorities of Patient Navigators- Under the program, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that patient navigators--

(1) are allowed scheduled daily access to senior decision-making personnel and offices within the facility or military installation to which assigned;

(2) are informed of all corrective actions taken on behalf of the patients they represent in a timely, standardized manner; and

(3) are allowed access to patient medical scheduling information and allowed to assist in scheduling appointments in a timely fashion.

(f) Responsibilities of Patient Navigators- Under the program, each patient navigator shall--

(1) report in writing daily to the commander or director of the facility or military installation to which the navigator is assigned all patient and family concerns, issues, and complaints; and

(2) keep confidential all files, and have contracts with each patient acknowledging privacy and other patient concerns about the role of the navigator.

(g) Medical Holdover Patient- In this Act, the term `medical holdover patient' means a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or other reserve component, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or is otherwise in medical hold or holdover status, for an injury, illness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on active duty in the Armed Forces.

(h) Authorization- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009.