Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., introduced a new bill this week that would instruct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pilot a cloud-based inventory management system to better track medical devices and equipment.
The legislation, titled the VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act, is co-sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.
“By setting a new standard for managing medical supplies and treatment equipment, this bill will help VA staff deliver timely care with the right tools – while also cutting down on waste, delays, and duplicated purchases,” Rep. Kiggans, who serves as the chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, said in a statement.
“I’m proud to introduce the VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act to protect taxpayer dollars and make sure our veterans receive the quality care they have earned and deserve,” she added.
According to the lawmakers, “millions of dollars in medical equipment have gone missing from VA facilities across the country in recent years.” Notably, they said nearly $5 million in medical devices went missing from Florida VA facilities between 2014 and 2019.
The bill aims to address this problem by authorizing the VA secretary to either develop or procure a cloud-based inventory system for medical equipment and supplies. It would provide $50 million in authorized funding to launch and implement the pilot program.
Under the bill, the agency would establish the pilot program at one VA facility to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system before broader implementation.
“Our veterans can face delays in care due to outdated and fragmented VA inventory systems that cause shortages and waste,” said Rep. Panetta. “Our bipartisan bill would create a cloud-based system to modernize medical supply management, saving taxpayer dollars and streamlining purchases. This long-overdue change will help ensure veterans get the timely, effective care they have earned.”