H.R. 1107 would permanently authorize certain health care professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prescribe, deliver, and dispense controlled substances to eligible VA patients via telemedicine, regardless of whether they have conducted an in-person medical examination. VA has had temporary authority to do so since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. CBO anticipates that implementing the bill would change how prescriptions for certain controlled substances are fulfilled but would not significantly change the number of medications prescribed or dispensed.
Based on the cost of similar regulatory efforts, CBO estimates that updating VA policies and guidance documents to reflect the permanent authority in the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Noah Callahan. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
