Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2025
Mental Health Care Provider Retention Act of 2025 would allow individuals who are transitioning from receiving mental health treatment through the Department of Defense (DoD) to treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue seeing their existing DoD mental health care provider during the transition. The bill establishes that these individuals—referred to as “covered individuals”—receive the same priority as active-duty service members at the military medical treatment facility where they continue care. VA would reimburse DoD for these services as if they were VA-provided. If the DoD provider leaves the facility, the individual may switch to another DoD provider at the same facility or to a VA provider. If the individual relocates and cannot reasonably receive care at the current facility, they must transition to a VA provider. DoD providers must transfer relevant medical records to VA for inclusion in the VA’s electronic medical record. The bill defines who qualifies as a “covered individual.”
Key Points
- 1Allows a transitioning veteran or service member diagnosed with a mental health condition to continue care with their DoD mental health provider during the transition to VA care.
- 2Provides equal priority to the covered individual as active-duty service members at the military medical treatment facility where they continue treatment.
- 3VA must reimburse DoD for these services as if they would have been VA-provided care.
- 4If the DoD provider departs a facility, the individual may remain with another DoD provider at the same facility or switch to a VA provider.
- 5DoD must transfer relevant medical records to VA to be included in the veteran’s VA electronic medical record upon transition.