HR1107-119

What This Bill Does

The Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act adds title 38 section 1730D. It allows a covered Department of Veterans Affairs health care professional to use telemedicine to deliver, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance that is a prescription drug to an eligible VA patient even if the clinician has not conducted an in-person medical examination. The clinician must hold an active, current, full, and unrestricted state license, registration, or certification for the controlled-substance class, act in the usual course of professional practice, and prescribe for a legitimate medical purpose. VA must issue regulations with guidelines and a process, and the bill preserves Controlled Substances Act obligations.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans in rural areas, veterans with mobility limitations, veterans receiving mental health or pain-related care, VA physicians, VA nurse practitioners, VA physician assistants, supervised VA health-professions trainees, VA telehealth programs, and telemedicine platform vendors benefit from fewer in-person barriers to clinically appropriate controlled-substance prescribing. The bill can reduce travel, appointment delays, and care interruptions for eligible VA patients.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA medical centers, VA pharmacy compliance teams, VA telehealth administrators, prescribing clinicians, supervised trainees, diversion-control staff, and DEA coordination staff must implement guidelines, verify licensure, ensure legitimate medical purpose, preserve Controlled Substances Act compliance, monitor diversion risk, and manage prescribing documentation without relying on a universal in-person examination prerequisite.

Key Provisions

• Adds title 38 section 1730D authorizing VA telemedicine prescribing of controlled-substance prescription drugs without a prior in-person examination.
• Requires covered VA clinicians to have active state authority for the controlled-substance class and to act in the usual course of professional practice.
• Requires the controlled substance to be dispensed for a legitimate medical purpose.
• Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish regulations, guidelines, and a process for telemedicine controlled-substance prescribing.
• Protects Controlled Substances Act obligations and defines covered professionals to include VA employees and supervised VA health-professions trainees, but not VA contractors.