Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-5648
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16]
Introduced: 2016-07-06
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health information and medical records

Mental health

Military medicine

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2016-07-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-07-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2016</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5648 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 6, 2016 Mr. O'Rourke (for himself and Mr. Jones ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services , and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL 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 2016 . 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 means an individual who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition and— (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.