To require a study on the quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-Department providers, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Mr. Moran, without amendment
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Fetterman, …
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Fetterman, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire an independent research organization to conduct a comprehensive study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction treatment provided by VA facilities versus private healthcare providers. The study must examine treatment outcomes, evidence-based practices, care coordination, patient satisfaction, and how long veterans wait to receive care. The research organization has 18 months to complete the study and report findings to Congress and the public.
Who Benefits and How
Research organizations benefit by gaining a new federal contract opportunity to conduct this healthcare quality assessment. Veterans seeking mental health and addiction treatment could potentially benefit in the future if the study identifies improvements needed in VA care and those recommendations are implemented. Congressional oversight committees benefit by receiving detailed information about VA mental health care quality that can inform future legislation and oversight activities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Veterans Affairs bears the administrative burden of contracting with a research organization, providing data and access for the study, and ensuring the work is completed within the 18-month deadline. The independent research organization selected for the contract must dedicate significant resources to conducting a comprehensive analysis across multiple treatment modalities and care settings. Taxpayers ultimately pay for the cost of commissioning and conducting this study, though the bill does not specify an appropriation amount.
Key Provisions
- Mandates VA contract with an independent organization within 90 days of enactment to conduct the quality comparison study
- Requires assessment of treatment outcomes including symptom improvement and suicide risk using standardized scales like the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale
- Examines whether VA and private providers use evidence-based practices meeting American Society of Addiction Medicine standards
- Evaluates care coordination gaps between VA and private providers, including health record sharing
- Measures veteran satisfaction and provider competency with military and veteran culture
- Assesses integration of care for veterans with co-occurring mental health and addiction conditions
- Compares wait times from initial contact to first treatment session between VA and private providers
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Mandates a study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by VA healthcare providers versus non-VA providers, examining treatment outcomes and evidence-based practices.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Different types of care delivery including telehealth, in-patient, intensive out-patient, out-patient, and residential treatment
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology