H.R. 8679: To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transmit a veteran’s history of opioid prescriptions to a Community Care health care provider.
This bill proposes a change in the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles the sharing of veterans' opioid prescription histories. Here are the main points of the bill:
Key Provisions
- Transmission of Prescription History: The bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transmit a veteran's history of opioid prescriptions to health care providers outside the VA, known as Community Care providers. This applies specifically to cases where the VA provides health care to veterans through these external providers.
- Involvement of Third Party Administrators: The transmission of prescription histories can also be conducted through a Third Party Administrator, facilitating the process of sharing this information with non-VA health care providers.
Purpose
The main goal of this legislation is to improve the continuity of care for veterans who are prescribed opioids. By ensuring that outside healthcare providers have access to a veteran's prescription history, the bill aims to enhance patient safety and ensure that these healthcare providers are aware of any potential risks associated with opioid use.
Definitions
- Covered Veteran: This refers to veterans that are receiving health care services from the VA.
- Community Care Provider: A non-Department health care provider that the Secretary of the VA works with to supply health care services to veterans.
- Third Party Administrator: An organization that manages claims and payments on behalf of the VA, defined within the regulations of the VA.
Implementation
This bill will require changes in how the VA communicates and manages data on opioid prescriptions for veterans, ensuring that necessary information is available to authorized healthcare providers to make informed decisions about patient care.
Impact
The change is expected to create a more integrated healthcare approach for veterans, and may lead to better health outcomes by providing comprehensive medication histories to all applicable healthcare providers.
Relevant Companies
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This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
7 bill sponsors
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| May. 07, 2026 | Introduced in House |
| May. 07, 2026 | Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. |
Corporate Lobbying
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