Sec. 332. Program on integration of complementary and alternative medicine within Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers
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/bill/113/s/1982/pcs/section-332A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— carry out, through the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a program to assess the feasibility and advisability of integrating the delivery of complementary and alternative medicine services selected by the Secretary with other health care services provided by the Department for veterans with mental health conditions, chronic pain conditions, other chronic conditions, and such other conditions as the Secretary determines appropriate; and in developing the program, identify and resolve barriers to the provision of complementary and alternative medicine services selected by the Secretary and the integration of those services with other health care services provided by the Department.
The program shall be carried out during the three-year period beginning on the effective date specified in subsection (j). The Secretary shall carry out the program at not fewer than 15 separate Department medical centers. Not less than two of the medical centers designated under paragraph
(1)shall be located at polytrauma rehabilitation centers of the Department. In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall select locations that include the following areas: Rural areas. Areas that are not in close proximity to an active duty military installation. Areas representing different geographic locations, such as census tracts established by the Bureau of the Census. Under the program, the Secretary shall provide covered services to covered veterans by integrating complementary and alternative medicine services with other services provided by the Department at the medical centers designated under subsection (c)(1). For purposes of the program, a covered veteran is any veteran who— has a mental health condition diagnosed by a clinician of the Department; experiences chronic pain; or has a chronic condition being treated by a clinician of the Department. For purposes of the program, covered services are services consisting of complementary and alternative medicine as selected by the Secretary. Covered services shall be administered under the program as follows: Covered services shall be administered by clinicians employed by the Secretary for purposes of this section who, to the extent practicable, shall provide services consisting of complementary and alternative medicine, including those clinicians who solely provide such services. Covered services shall be included as part of the Patient Aligned Care Teams initiative of the Office of Patient Care Services, Primary Care Program Office, in coordination with the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. Covered services shall be made available to both— covered veterans with mental health conditions, pain conditions, or chronic conditions described in subsection
(e)who have received conventional treatments from the Department for such conditions; and covered veterans with mental health conditions, pain conditions, or chronic conditions described in subsection
(e)who have not received conventional treatments from the Department for such conditions. The participation of a veteran in the program shall be at the election of the veteran and in consultation with a clinician of the Department. Not later than 90 days after the date of the commencement of the program and not less frequently than once every 90 days thereafter for the duration of the program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the efforts of the Secretary to carry out the program, including a description of the outreach conducted by the Secretary to veterans and community organizations to inform such organizations about the program. Not later than 180 days after the completion of the program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the program. The report submitted under subparagraph
(A)shall include the following: The findings and conclusions of the Secretary with respect to the program, including with respect to— the utilization and efficacy of the complementary and alternative medicine services established under the program; an assessment of the benefit of the program to covered veterans in mental health diagnoses, pain management, and treatment of chronic illness; and the comparative effectiveness of various complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Barriers identified under subsection (a)(2) that were not resolved. Such recommendations for the continuation or expansion of the program as the Secretary considers appropriate. In this section, the term complementary and alternative medicine shall have the meaning given that term in section 331(e) of this Act. This section shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.