H.R. 6519: Veterans Affairs Peer Review Neutrality Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Veterans Affairs Peer Review Neutrality Act of 2025, aims to address conflicts of interest in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by establishing guidelines for peer reviews, administrative investigations, and fact-finding processes within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The main provisions of the bill are as follows:

Purpose

The bill seeks to ensure that evaluations of healthcare quality and administrative investigations are conducted fairly and without bias or conflicts of interest among the individuals involved.

Key Provisions

1. Peer Review Process

• Withdrawal Requirement: Individuals involved in the care being reviewed must withdraw from the review process. This applies if they have direct involvement with the care under review or if they cannot conduct an objective review.
• Neutral Assessment: Each medical facility will need to develop procedures to ensure that peer reviews involving members of the same facility are evaluated by an impartial peer review committee from another facility.

2. Administrative Investigation and Factfinding

• Confidential Information: Individuals who possess confidential quality assurance information related to the investigation cannot serve on the board or disclose that information during the investigation.
• No Personal Interest: The Secretary of the VA must ensure that members of administrative boards or investigators do not have personal interests, biases, or direct involvement in the issues being investigated.
• Recusal Protocol: Potential members of a review board must recuse themselves if they have any conflicting interests or relationships with the subject of the investigation.

Clerical Amendments

Additionally, the bill includes clerical amendments to update the legal references in the U.S. Code to reflect the new provisions that eliminate conflicts of interest in the peer review and investigative processes within the VHA.

Implementation

These changes aim to create a more transparent and impartial system for evaluating the quality of healthcare provided to veterans, thus enhancing accountability within the VHA.

Relevant Companies

None found.