Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act
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The bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to commission an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by VA providers versus non-VA providers across treatment settings like telehealth, in-patient, and residential care.
The findings, covering outcomes, evidence-based practices, and care coordination gaps, would have to be published publicly and reported to Congress, giving lawmakers and veterans a clearer picture of where VA mental health care may fall short.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek an agreement, within 90 days of enactment, with an independent outside organization to study differences in the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care between VA and non-VA providers across modalities such as telehealth, in-patient, intensive out-patient, out-patient, and residential treatment. The organization would have 18 months from the agreement date to complete the study and would have to submit a report to the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees and publish it publicly.
The report would need to assess seven specific elements, including improvement in health outcomes and suicide risk scores, use of evidence-based practices, coordination gaps between VA and non-VA providers, veteran-centric care quality, integrated care for co-occurring conditions, ongoing outcome monitoring for up to three years, and wait times to begin treatment. The bill does not itself change VA treatment practices or funding — it only mandates the study and reporting.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the VA Secretary to seek an agreement with an independent organization within 90 days of enactment to study VA versus non-VA mental health and addiction care quality
- 2Would require the contracted organization to submit findings to Congress and publish them publicly
- 3Would require the study to be completed within 18 months of the agreement being entered into
- 4Would require the report to assess health outcome improvements, evidence-based practice use, coordination gaps, veteran-centric care, integrated care, ongoing monitoring, and wait times
Who would be affected
Veterans receiving mental health and addiction therapy care through VA or VA-funded community providers, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the independent organization contracted to conduct the study, and the Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committees that would receive the findings.
Why it matters
Veterans and policymakers would gain an independent, public assessment of whether VA or community-based mental health and addiction care produces better outcomes, potentially informing future decisions about how VA allocates care between its own providers and outside networks.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for the Secretary to seek an agreement with an outside organization for the study
- Deadline for the organization to complete the study and report after the agreement is signed
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates S. 702 would cost $1 million over the 2025–2030 period, subject to appropriations, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that S. 702 would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or federal revenues, leaving no change to the deficit over the 2025–2035 scoring window. The bill's sole cost driver is a requirement for the Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with an independent organization to study differences in the quality of VA-provided mental health and addiction therapy versus care received from outside providers, and to submit a report to Congress within 18 months — estimated at $1 million over 2025–2030 in discretionary spending (funds that must be provided through the annual appropriations process). CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
Within 90 days of enactment, the VA Secretary must seek an agreement with an independent, objective outside organization. Once under agreement, that organization has 18 months to complete the comparative study, covering outcomes, evidence-based practice use, care coordination, veteran-centric care, integrated treatment for co-occurring conditions, long-term monitoring, and wait times. The organization must then submit its final report to both congressional Veterans' Affairs committees and publish it on a publicly available website.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 287.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek to enter into an agreement with an independent and objective organization to study the difference in quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by the VA compared to non-VA providers across various modalities. The organization must publish its findings publicly.
Legislative subjects
Armed Forces and National Security; Congressional oversight; Drug, alcohol, tobacco use; Government studies and investigations; Health care quality; Mental health; Veterans' medical care