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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV), Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Don Davis (D-NC) introduced the Virtual-Based Opioid Treatment for Veterans Act. This bipartisan legislation would establish a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program that would connect veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) to community-based virtual treatment providers when the VA cannot provide timely care directly.
The legislation would expand access to evidence-based treatment for veterans with OUD when distance, long wait times, transportation challenges, or provider shortages make it difficult to receive in-person care at a VA facility.
Despite the effectiveness of treatment, requiring in-person appointments can make it difficult for patients to begin and remain in care. These challenges are especially significant for the more than 4.4 million veterans who live in rural communities, where travel distances are longer and local specialists are often scarce.
"Our veterans have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and they deserve timely access to the care they have rightfully earned. Too many veterans struggling with opioid addiction face barriers to treatment because of long wait times or a lack of access to in-person care. This bill provides a commonsense solution by expanding access to life saving treatment through telehealth, if and only when veterans cannot receive timely care at a clinic. I am happy to support this legislation and urge my colleagues to help get it across the finish line," said Congresswoman Miller.
"When a veteran is ready to seek treatment for opioid use disorder, a long drive, a months-long waiting list, or a lack of nearby specialists should never stand in their way. More than 300,000 veterans in North Carolina live in rural areas where accessing care can be especially difficult. The VA has already demonstrated that telehealth can help veterans begin and remain in opioid treatment. My legislation builds on that success by ensuring veterans and their families can access the care they need - no matter their zip code," said Congresswoman Ross.
"Eastern North Carolina is home to more than 56,000 veterans and generations of servicemembers and military families who strengthen our communities through their service and leadership. When veterans are seeking treatment, distance, transportation challenges, provider shortages, or long wait times should never keep them from receiving the care they have earned. The Virtual-Based Opioid Treatment for Veterans Act would connect veterans to community-based virtual care when the VA cannot deliver timely treatment, helping to close gaps in our rural communities while preserving the VA's central role," said Congressman Davis.
The legislation would direct the VA to establish a two-year pilot program through the Veterans Community Care Program to connect eligible veterans with qualified virtual opioid treatment providers when VA facilities cannot provide timely care. The pilot would supplement, not replace, care delivered directly by the VA.
VA research supports expanding virtual treatment options. A national study of more than 17,000 veterans receiving buprenorphine found that patients who received at least some care through telehealth were significantly more likely to remain in treatment for at least 90 days than those treated exclusively in person.
The bill is endorsed by the Veterans Resilience Project of NC, Veterans Life Center of NC, North Carolina Medical Society, Behavioral Health Association of Providers, Project VBOT, Breaking Barriers to Substance Use Recovery, Addiction Professionals of NC, and International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium.
Bill text is available here.
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