Senator Collins, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Improve Veterans’ Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Gary Peters (D–MI), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today introduced the Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act, bipartisan legislation that would require an independent organization outside of the government to conduct a study to assess the quality of care veterans receive for mental and addiction health treatment from providers within and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Our veterans made the honorable decision to serve our country, and we have a responsibility to ensure they receive the best possible health care during and after their service,” said Senator Collins. “Too many veterans face serious mental health struggles, including PTSD and addiction, yet they often encounter barriers to getting the care they need. By reviewing the quality of mental health and addiction treatment available to them—both within and outside the VA—this bipartisan legislation would help improve access to higher-quality care, so that fewer veterans are left without the support they deserve.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs is home to the nation’s largest integrated health care system that provides comprehensive health services to U.S. military veterans who are enrolled. However, recent estimates indicate that as many as 70% of VA-eligible veterans received their care from external providers. Given the high rate of veteran suicide due to mental and addiction health conditions, a study is needed to better understand if current practices provide our veterans with the best mental and addiction quality of care.

Specifically, The Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act would require an independent study to:

• Analyze the results of comparable instances of addiction and mental health care between inside and outside providers using objective criteria such as symptom scores and suicide risk;

• Ascertain to what extent outside providers are using evidence-based practices in the treatment of addiction and mental health issues;

• Identify potential gaps in coordination between internal and external providers in responding to individuals seeking addiction or mental health care;

• Evaluate the availability of coordinated care for veterans who have separate or related conditions which may be impacting their mental health;

• Assess providers’ military cultural competency;

• Gauge the ease and flexibility of sharing medical records with a veteran’s health care team;

• Consider to what extent providers are conducting outcome monitoring throughout a veteran’s treatment to track progress or lack thereof; and

• Measure overall patient satisfaction.

The legislation is supported by the Disabled American Veterans Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Veteran Health Care Policy Initiative.

The full text of the bill can be read here.

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