38 U.S.C. § 1709A — Teleconsultation

(a) Teleconsultation .— (1) The Secretary^* must carry out an initiative of teleconsultation for the provision of remote mental health and traumatic brain injury assessments in facilities of the Department^* that are not otherwise able to provide that assessments without contracting with third-party providers or reimbursing providers through a fee basis system. (2) The Secretary must, in consultation with appropriate professional societies, promulgate technical and clinical care standards for the use of teleconsultation services within facilities of the Department^*. (3) In carrying out an initiative under paragraph (1), the Secretary must ensure that facilities of the Department are able to provide a mental health or traumatic brain injury assessment to a veteran^* through contracting with a third-party provider or reimbursing a provider through a fee basis system when— (A) that facilities are not able to provide that assessment to the veteran without— (i) that contracting or reimbursement; or (ii) teleconsultation; and (B) providing that assessment with that contracting or reimbursement is more clinically appropriate for the veteran than providing that assessment with teleconsultation. (b) Teleconsultation Defined .— In this section, the term “teleconsultation” means the use by a health care specialist of telecommunications to assist another health care provider in rendering a diagnosis or treatment.