Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to expand access to virtual-based opioid treatment for covered veterans

(a)

Establishment

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish and carry out a pilot program on expanding access to virtual-based opioid treatment for covered veterans. Under the pilot program, the Secretary shall— (1)conduct outreach to covered veterans and the families of covered veterans with respect to options for virtual-based opioid treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1703 of title 38, United States Code; (2)develop referral networks for virtual-based opioid treatment options for covered veterans that are designed around overcoming barriers associated with opioid treatment; (3)create a referral pipeline for covered veterans into these virtual-based opioid treatment programs, assisted by a national public awareness campaign around these treatment programs, as a supplement to existing Department of Veterans Affairs direct care programs; (4)ensure that clinicians of the Veterans Health Administration and peer-support specialists are aware of community care network-associated virtual-based opioid treatment programs for patients experiencing barriers to the access of direct care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (5)launch an interagency task-force with covered Secretaries to ensure a coordinated, whole-of-Government approach dedicated to ensuring cross-agency integration of the pilot program. (b)

Study and report

(1)

In general

As part of the pilot program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a study on the societal impact of barriers to treatment for substance use disorder and submit to the appropriate agency heads and congressional committees a report on such study. Such report shall include— (A)a description of the findings of such study; and (B)recommendations of the Secretary with respect to incorporating virtual-based opioid treatment models with proven success in overcoming such barriers. (2)

Annual update

Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary submits the report under paragraph (1), and on an annual basis thereafter until the opioid crisis is no longer deemed a public health emergency, the Secretary shall update the report under paragraph (1) and submit to the appropriate agency heads and congressional committees a revised report that includes a summary of the progress of the pilot program toward resolving and overcoming the treatment barriers identified in the study under paragraph (1). (c)

Sunset

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the pilot program under this section shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2)

Extension

If the Secretary determines the pilot program is effective in improving health-related outcomes for covered veterans in receipt of care under the pilot program, the Secretary may extend such authority for such period as the Secretary determines appropriate. (d)

Definitions

In this section: (1)The term appropriate agency heads and congressional committees means— (A)the Secretary of Health and Human Services; (B)the Secretary of Defense; (C)the Attorney General of the United States; (D)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; (E)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives; (F)the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and (G)the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. (2)The term barriers means barriers to the access of traditional, in-person medication-assisted opioid treatment, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (3)The term covered Secretaries means— (A)the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse; (B)the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Under Secretary for Health; (C)the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; and (D)the Attorney General, acting through the Director for the Health Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. (4)The term covered veteran means a veteran who is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code. (5)The term virtual-based opioid treatment means treatment programs under the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs that— (A)incorporate same-visit, same-clinician behavioral counseling and medication-assisted treatment in each visit; (B)are conducted entirely through telemedicine or telehealth; (C)are from licensed, board-certified psychiatric clinicians whose practices possess Drug Enforcement Administration licenses authorizing medication-assisted treatment; and (D)meet outcome-based eligibility benchmarks, such as on minimum thresholds for patient retention, toxicology compliance, patient-reported outcomes, and reduction in emergency department utilization or escalation of care, as determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the covered Secretaries.