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Kiggans Fights to Protect Veterans’ Access to Telehealth Services

Feb 13, 2025
Press
Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) announced her cosponsorship of the Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025, a bill that would permanently extend successful telehealth services to America’s veterans. Specifically, this legislation would specifically extend a pandemic-related exemption that allows Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare providers to prescribe certain medications via telemedicine to their veteran patients. Introduced by Congressman Steve Womack (AR-03), this bipartisan bill has nine cosponsors.

“As a Navy veteran and geriatric nurse practitioner, expanding access to healthcare is one of my top priorities in Congress – especially for those who have served our country in uniform,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “Telehealth services have provided our veterans and older Americans access to critical care from the comfort of their homes, making a significant impact in Hampton Roads and rural areas across the country. I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation to ensure the VA can provide the quality care our veterans deserve.”

Background:

You can find the full bill text here.

  • The Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025 would allow health care professionals employed by the VA to prescribe medically necessary controlled substances to veterans via telemedicine under certain conditions regardless of whether that health care professional has conducted one in-person medical examination.
  • The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 was enacted on April 13, 2009. Under this Act, a practitioner is required to have conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient, in the physical presence of the practitioner, before issuing a prescription for a controlled substance.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, requirements under the Ryan Haight Act for a patient to meet with a practitioner in-person for the prescription of a controlled substance were temporarily waived.
  • On November 19, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the continuation of temporary extension of flexibilities around telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances from the COVID-19 public health emergency through December 31, 2025.
  • If the current exemption expires at the end of the year, veteran access to certain medications classified as a controlled substance will be severely restricted.

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