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By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Kentucky’s 3rd District Congressman Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, has introduced legislation to provide the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), particularly Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with authority to ensure veterans have quicker access to new and emerging healthcare innovations.
As the country’s largest integrated healthcare system with over 1200 medical centers and clinics, the VA holds tremendous power and opportunity. It serves more than 9 million veterans, has access to entire lifetimes of health data and hosts the medical training programs that prepare 80 percent of the doctors and nurses in the country.
Along with Congressman Mike Levin, D-CA, McGarvey is sponsoring the Innovation for VA Technology and Entrepreneurship (INNOVATE) Act.
“We need to do better for our nation’s veterans. They deserve the best possible healthcare but that isn’t always what they get when they go to the VA,” McGarvey said. “It doesn’t have to stay this way. My INNOVATE Act would harness the power of the VA health care system, direct resources toward innovative health solutions, and incentivize them, so VA can not only rise to meet the ever-changing needs of veterans but can emerge as a leader in the transformation of healthcare for all Americans.”
Provisions include:
• Codifying the existing VHA Office of Innovation with a Chief Innovation Officer who reports to the Under Secretary for Health.
• A Special Hiring Authority enabling the Office of Innovation to quickly and competitively hire the most qualified clinical and technical subject matter experts to provide innovative care and build cutting-edge solutions.
• Guaranteeing manufacturers a market for new products meeting a target product profile at a pre-agreed price, which could drive the market toward unique veteran-centric solutions rather than relying solely on off-the-shelf products needing costly modification to meet the specific needs of veterans, at a better price.
• Easier collaboration with external innovators through the research, prototype, and production of new technology, rather than the current months-to-years long process it takes VA to partner with external stakeholders.
• A dedicated Innovation Fund, where VHA can invest in technologies, addressing healthcare market failures with solutions that have not yet been developed, or optimized for veteran healthcare.
• Increasing opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses to work with VA, so the agency can invest in and support these businesses to provide solutions developed in collaboration with veterans, for veterans.
