Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025
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Would permanently authorize Department of Veterans Affairs health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances to eligible veterans via telemedicine — without requiring a prior in-person examination — provided specific licensing, practice, and medical-purpose conditions are met.
The change would close a gap that has forced some veterans to make in-person clinic visits solely to receive prescription renewals, expanding remote care access for a population that often faces travel or mobility barriers.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would add a new section (1730D) to title 38 of the U.S. Code permanently authorizing covered VA health care professionals to deliver, distribute, or dispense controlled substances that are prescription drugs to eligible veterans through telemedicine, even without a prior in-person medical examination. Three conditions must all be satisfied: the professional must hold an active, current, full, and unrestricted state license to prescribe the relevant class of controlled substance; must be acting in the usual course of professional practice; and must be dispensing the substance for a legitimate medical purpose.
The bill would direct the VA Secretary to establish regulations setting guidelines and a process for these telemedicine prescriptions. It explicitly preserves all existing obligations VA professionals have under the Controlled Substances Act — the new authority does not override or limit those duties. Health professions trainees appointed under VA authority may also qualify, provided they are under the clinical supervision of a fully credentialed VA professional.
Key provisions
- 1Would authorize covered VA health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances to eligible veterans via telemedicine without a prior in-person examination, subject to three conditions.
- 2Would require the VA Secretary to issue regulations establishing guidelines and a process for telemedicine-based controlled-substance prescribing.
- 3Would preserve all existing obligations of VA health care professionals under the Controlled Substances Act; the new authority does not limit those duties.
- 4Would extend coverage to VA-appointed health professions trainees acting under clinical supervision of a fully credentialed VA professional.
Who would be affected
Veterans eligible for VA health care who receive prescription controlled substances, particularly those who face barriers to in-person visits. VA-employed health care professionals — including physicians, nurses, and other licensed clinicians appointed under relevant VA title 38 authorities — who prescribe controlled substances. Health professions trainees working under VA clinical supervision would also be covered.
Why it matters
Veterans in rural areas or with mobility limitations often struggle to travel to VA facilities solely to satisfy in-person examination requirements before receiving controlled-substance prescriptions. If enacted, this bill would give VA clinicians clear permanent authority to prescribe via telemedicine, potentially reducing unnecessary travel burdens and improving continuity of care for chronic conditions managed with controlled medications.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Title 38, United States Code (Sec. 2)
Adds new section 1730D permanently authorizing covered VA health care professionals to dispense controlled substance prescriptions via telemedicine without an in-person exam.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 1107 would have no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit, with discretionary costs of less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period.
CBO finds that H.R. 1107 would have zero effect on direct (mandatory) spending, revenues, and the federal deficit over both the 2025–2030 and 2025–2035 periods. The bill would permanently authorize VA health care professionals to prescribe and dispense controlled substances to eligible veterans via telemedicine without a prior in-person examination — a temporary authority first granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency. CBO expects the bill would shift how some prescriptions are fulfilled but would not meaningfully change the overall volume of medications prescribed. The only estimated cost is less than $500,000 in discretionary spending (subject to annual appropriations) to update VA policies and guidance documents. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
How implementation would work
The VA Secretary would be required to issue regulations establishing guidelines and a process for telemedicine-based controlled-substance prescribing under the new authority. VA professionals and trainees would need to meet the credentialing and licensing conditions set out in the statute before exercising the authority. The bill does not set a rulemaking deadline. All Controlled Substances Act obligations — including DEA registration requirements — remain in force, meaning the regulatory framework would need to align with both VA policy and federal drug-control law.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill permanently authorizes certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals to use telemedicine to deliver, distribute, or dispense controlled substances that are prescription drugs to patients who are eligible for VA health care, regardless of whether the health care professional has conducted an in-person medical examination. The health care professional must be (1) authorized to prescribe the basic class of such controlled substance under an active, current, full, and unrestricted license or certification; (2) acting in the usual course of professional practice; and (3) delivering, distributing, or dispensing the substance for a legitimate medical purpose.
Legislative subjects
Armed Forces and National Security; Health care coverage and access; Health personnel; Health technology, devices, supplies; Prescription drugs; Veterans' medical care
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-221