Senate Passes VA Telehealth Expansion Bill

The Senate recently passed the Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act to expand access to telehealth services for VA patients.

The Senate voted unanimously for the bill, which was sponsored by Senators Ernst (R-Iowa) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

“All of our veterans must have access to quality and timely care, including life-saving mental health treatment, regardless of where they live,” Sen Ernst said in a press release. “The VETS Act would allow Iowa’s rural or disabled veterans to receive care from their own home by increasing telehealth and telemedicine services provided by the VA. With more than 200,000 veterans across Iowa, I am thrilled to see our bipartisan effort advance through the US Senate so we can continue working to ensure better care for those who have sacrificed so much.”

The bill reforms VA telehealth licensure by allowing providers to connect with and serve patients anywhere in the country, despite the provider’s location.

According to Sen Ernst, the VETS Act will expand access to mental health services for VA patients. By removing the barrier of state lines, providers will be able to service patients in states and areas of the country that lack telehealth services for mental health. Sen Hirono said that this bill will be especially helpful for veterans living in Hawaii.

“The VETS Act will help Hawaii veterans access high quality VA care and health services when they need it, where they need it,” she said. “I urge the swift enactment of the bill and will continue to fight to ensure Hawaii veterans can access the care they need from a strong, well-resourced VA system.”

The bill will move to committee where the Senate and House must reconcile the language discrepancies between their two bills before passing it onto the President and into law. The House passed its own version of the bill in November.

—David Costill