Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2017

To authorize an individual who is transitioning from receiving treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense to treatment furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to continue receiving treatment from such individual’s mental health care provider of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2017 2. Retention of Mental Health Care Provider (a) In General During the transition from receiving treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense to treatment furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a covered individual may elect to continue receiving treatment from such individual’s mental health care provider of the Department of Defense. (b) Priority A covered individual shall receive the same level of priority as members of the Armed Forces at the military medical treatment facility at which the covered individual has elected to continue treatment. (c) Reimbursement of Costs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall reimburse the Secretary of Defense for services rendered pursuant to subsection (a), if such services would have otherwise been furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (d) Departure of Mental Health Care Provider In the event that the mental health care provider described under subsection (a) departs the military medical treatment facility at which the covered individual is receiving treatment, such individual may elect to obtain the services of— (1) a different mental health care provider at the same military medical treatment facility; or (2) a mental health care provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (e) Departure of Covered Individual In the event that the covered individual relocates and is unable to reasonably receive care at the military medical treatment facility at which such individual has elected to continue treatment under subsection (a), such individual shall transition to receiving treatment from a mental health care provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (f) Medical Records The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that any mental health care provider of the Department of Defense that furnishes care or services under this section to a covered individual submits to the Department of Veterans Affairs a copy of any medical record related to the care or services provided to such individual by such mental health care provider for inclusion in the electronic medical record of such individual maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs upon such individual’s transition to receiving treatment from a mental health care provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (g) Definition of Covered Individual In this section, the term covered individual (1) is enrolling in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs, established by section 1705 of title 38, United States Code; or (2) has enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs and is still in transition from receiving treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense, as determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Summary: Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2017 This bill allows an individual who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition and who is transitioning from receiving treatment from the Department of Defense to receiving treatment from in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to elect to continue receiving treatment from such individual's DOD mental health provider. Such individual shall receive the same level of priority as members of the Armed Forces at the facility at which the individual has elected to continue treatment. The VA shall reimburse DOD for rendered services that otherwise would have been furnished by the VA. If the DOD mental health care provider departs the facility at which the covered individual is receiving treatment, such individual may elect to obtain the services of: (1) a different mental health care provider at the same facility, or (2) a VA mental health care provider.