Project VBOT backs bipartisan VA opioid treatment pilot for veterans

Project VBOT and The Recovery Platform are supporting a bipartisan bill that would let the VA route eligible veterans with opioid use disorder to qualified virtual community providers when timely VA care is unavailable. Backers say the proposal could reduce delays for rural and underserved veterans while preserving the VA’s role in care delivery.

Why it matters: - The bill targets one of the biggest barriers in veteran addiction care: delays in getting treatment when a veteran is ready to start recovery. - The proposed pilot could expand access for veterans in rural and underserved communities that face long travel times, limited provider availability and transportation obstacles. - The measure is designed to supplement VA care, not replace it, which keeps the VA at the center of veteran treatment.

What happened: - Project VBOT and The Recovery Platform reaffirmed support for the Virtual-Based Opioid Treatment for Veterans Act after its bipartisan introduction by U.S. Reps. Deborah Ross, Carol Miller and Don Davis. - The bill would direct the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to create a two-year pilot through the Veterans Community Care Program. - Eligible veterans with opioid use disorder could be connected to qualified community-based virtual treatment providers when VA facilities cannot provide timely care. - The announcement came from Wilmington, N.C.

The details: - The pilot would allow the VA to test a structured community-care pathway for veterans who might otherwise wait for treatment. - Project VBOT says the model is clinician-led and built to expand access to evidence-based care for opioid use disorder. - Project VBOT combines medical care, counseling, peer support and care navigation in a coordinated virtual approach. - The Recovery Platform provides technology infrastructure that supports accessible, retention-focused virtual treatment. - Reynold Yordy, CTO of The Recovery Platform, said qualified virtual care can serve as a responsible bridge when timely VA care is not available. - David Bolton, clinical director of Project VBOT, said easier-to-reach care can improve the chance that veterans start treatment and stay connected to it. - The congressional announcement cites VA research involving more than 17,000 veterans receiving buprenorphine. - Veterans who received at least some care through telehealth were more likely to remain in treatment for at least 90 days than those treated only in person. - Project VBOT and The Recovery Platform urge Congress to continue bipartisan consideration of the legislation and to involve veterans, clinicians, community providers and VA leaders as the bill advances.

Between the lines: - The push reflects a broader argument that virtual care can fill gaps without weakening federal oversight or continuity of care. - The VA research cited in the announcement gives supporters a data point for telehealth as a retention tool, not just an access tool. - The bill’s structure suggests lawmakers are testing whether community virtual providers can help the VA respond faster without changing the core delivery model.

What's next: - Congress will continue considering the legislation. - If the bill becomes law, the VA would need to define pilot standards and an implementation framework. - Veterans, clinicians, community treatment providers and VA leaders are expected to be part of that process.