| Funding source and protection |
Unspecified; no dedicated, protected funding line |
Dedicated, protected VA budget line; no reprogramming without statute |
| Access standards (wait time) |
No enforceable wait-time guarantee |
Maximum 30 days from diagnosis/referral to placement |
| Access standards (travel distance) |
No enforceable distance cap |
Maximum 40 miles/60 minutes unless veteran opts otherwise |
| Dementia-capable provider standards |
Not defined |
Mandatory dementia-capable certification, training, safety, BH integration |
| Rural adjustments |
Silent on rural rate boosts and capacity-building |
15% rural reimbursement enhancement + capital upgrade grants |
| Network expansion/credentialing |
General “facilitate/expedite” language |
60-day fast-track approval or denial; public provider directory |
| Interoperability and continuity of care |
No EHR interoperability requirement |
Mandatory interoperable EHR with VA, med reconciliation, incident reporting |
| Caregiver support |
Not addressed |
30 days/year respite, stipend alignment with COLA, care navigators |
| Transparency and public reporting |
No public dashboard; limited accountability |
Monthly-updated public dashboard: wait times, distance, capacity, staffing, outcomes, spend |
| Enforcement mechanisms |
None specified |
Clawbacks, referral suspensions, public non-compliance listing |
| Veteran right of appeal |
Not specified |
Independent appeals board with binding authority and reimbursements |
| Fraud, waste, and abuse controls |
Not specified |
Pre-auth standards, post-payment review, conflict-of-interest checks |
| Sunset and external review |
No sunset or GAO review requirement |
GAO review at 5 years; 6-year sunset unless reauthorized |
| Scope and duplication |
Rebrands existing VA tools; risks duplicating authority |
Targets actual bottlenecks: standards, funding, capacity, transparency, enforcement |
| Accountability to veterans |
Press-release metrics; no real-time proof |
Real-time, public metrics with enforceable thresholds and penalties |