Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the VA to hire an outside group to compare mental health and addiction care veterans get at the VA versus private clinics, across settings like telehealth, inpatient, and residential treatment.
• Researchers will track how much veterans actually improve during treatment, including symptom scores and suicide risk, and whether providers use proven, evidence-based methods for addiction treatment.
• The study will also examine coordination problems between VA and outside providers, including whether medical records are shared properly and whether veterans with multiple conditions get integrated care.
• Wait times are a major focus, comparing how long veterans wait to start treatment at the VA versus private providers from their very first request for help.
• The VA must try to sign an agreement with an independent research organization within 90 days of the bill becoming law, and that group has 18 months after signing to finish the study and publish it publicly.