Title: REMOVE Copays Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Reduce and Eliminate Mental Health Outpatient Veteran Copays Act or the REMOVE Copays Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from imposing or collecting any co-payment for a veteran's first three mental health outpatient care visits in a calendar year. However, such prohibition must not apply with respect to the imposition or collection of copayments for medications.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4951 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4951

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit collection of 
copayments for the first three outpatient mental health care visits of 
          veterans each calendar year, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 27, 2022

Mr. Ossoff (for himself and Mr. Cramer) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit collection of 
copayments for the first three outpatient mental health care visits of 
          veterans each calendar year, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Reduce and Eliminate Mental Health 
Outpatient Veteran Copays Act'' or the ``REMOVE Copays Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF COPAYMENTS FOR FIRST THREE MENTAL 
              HEALTH CARE OUTPATIENT VISITS OF VETERANS.

    (a) Prohibition on Collection.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter III of chapter 17, United 
        States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1722B the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 1722C. Copayments: prohibition on collection of copayments for 
              first three mental health care outpatient visits of 
              veterans
    ``(a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
notwithstanding section 1710(g) of this title or any other provision of 
law, the Secretary may not impose or collect a copayment for the first 
three mental health care outpatient visits of a veteran in a calendar 
year for which the veteran would otherwise be required to pay a 
copayment under the laws administered by the Secretary.
    ``(b) Copayment for Medications.--The prohibition under subsection 
(a) shall not apply with respect to the imposition or collection of 
copayments for medications pursuant to section 1722A of this title.
    ``(c) Mental Health Care Outpatient Visit Defined.--In this 
section, the term `mental health care outpatient visit' means an 
outpatient visit with a qualified mental health professional for the 
primary purpose of seeking mental health care or treatment for 
substance abuse disorder.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item related to section 1722B the following new item:

``1722C. Copayments: prohibition on collection of copayments for first 
                            three mental health care outpatient visits 
                            of veterans.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to mental health care outpatient visits occurring on 
or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
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