02-16403. President's Task Force To Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans, Notice of Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under Public Law 92-463 that a meeting of the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, 2002, beginning at 9 a.m. and adjourning at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Horizon Ballroom of the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC and is open to the general public.

The purpose of the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans is to:

(a) Identify ways to improve benefits and services for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries and Department of Defense (DoD) military retirees who are also eligible for benefits from VA, through better coordination of the activities of the two departments;

(b) Identify opportunities to remove barriers that impede VA and DoD coordination, including budgeting processes, timely billing, cost accounting, information technology, and reimbursement; and

(c) Identify opportunities through partnership between VA and DoD, to maximize the use of resources and infrastructure, including buildings, information technology and data sharing systems, procurement of supplies, equipment and services.

On the morning of July 10, the President's Task Force will receive presentations by Dr. Robert Roswell, Under Secretary for Health (VA), and Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The morning session will conclude with a discussion of the next steps and issues leading to the Final Report. During the afternoon session, the seven Work Groups will brief the Committee in this order: Leadership Chapter, Benefits Chapter, Resources Chapter, Pharmaceuticals Chapter, Acquisition and Procurement Chapter, Facilities Chapter, and Information Management/Information Technology Chapter.

Interested parties can provide written comments to Mr. Dan Amon, Communications Director, President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Our Nation's Veterans, 1401 Wilson Boulevard, 4th Floor, Arlington, Virginia 22209.

Dated: June 21, 2002.

By direction of the Secretary.

Nora E. Egan,

Committee Management Officer.