Virtual-Based Opioid Treatment for Veterans Act
Sponsored By: Representative Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
Introduced
Summary
Expand access to virtual-based opioid treatment for veterans through a Department of Veterans Affairs pilot that would integrate telemedicine medication-assisted treatment and same-visit behavioral counseling. The pilot would require outreach to covered veterans and families, build referral networks and a referral pipeline, run a national public awareness campaign, ensure Veterans Health Administration clinicians and peer-support specialists know about community-care virtual programs, and create an interagency task force for coordination.
Show full summary
- Covered veterans and their families would gain telehealth access to medication-assisted treatment and same-visit behavioral counseling under the Veterans Community Care Program. The pilot must be established within 180 days and would run for two years with possible extension if it improves outcomes.
- Veterans Health Administration clinicians and peer-support specialists would be notified and connected to community-care virtual programs to help refer patients who face barriers to in-person treatment.
- The VA would develop referral networks, a national awareness campaign, and a referral pipeline linking veterans to virtual programs delivered by licensed psychiatric clinicians with DEA medication-assisted treatment authorization and outcome benchmarks.
- The VA Secretary would study the societal impact of barriers to substance use disorder treatment and provide annual reports with findings and recommendations until the opioid crisis is no longer a public health emergency.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
VA pilot for virtual opioid care
If enacted, the VA would start a pilot to expand virtual-based opioid treatment for covered veterans within 180 days. The pilot would use the Veterans Community Care Program to deliver telehealth medication-assisted treatment plus same-visit behavioral counseling to veterans who face access barriers. VA would do outreach to covered veterans and families, build referral networks and a referral pipeline, and run a national awareness campaign. VHA clinicians and peer-support specialists would be informed and an interagency task force would coordinate across agencies. The VA would study barriers and send an initial report with recommendations, then update that report yearly until the opioid crisis is no longer a public health emergency. The pilot would end two years after enactment unless VA extends it after finding improved health outcomes.
Clear definitions for pilot rules
If enacted, the bill would define terms used for the pilot program. A "covered veteran" would mean a veteran enrolled under the VA annual patient enrollment system. "Barriers" would use CDC or SAMHSA definitions. "Covered Secretaries" would include HHS (mental health lead), VA (Under Secretary for Health), Defense (health affairs), and the Attorney General (Bureau of Prisons health). "Virtual-based opioid treatment" would mean fully telehealth programs that combine same-visit, same-clinician behavioral counseling and medication-assisted treatment by licensed, board-certified psychiatric clinicians with DEA MAT authority, and that meet outcome benchmarks. These definitions would take effect on enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
NC • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]
NC • D
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1]
WV • R
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov