Extend the National Health Service Corps
Recommendation
Congress should amend 42 U.S.C. § 254e(a)(2) to extend and fund the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to include Veterans’ Health Administration facilities and clinics by explicitly including those facilities and clinics under the definition of the term “medical facility.” [1][2]
Background/summary
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) includes medical, dental, and mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) providers who receive scholarships or loan repayment assistance in return for providing services within communities at eligible facilities in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).[3][4][5] Currently, any clinic that provides care to Veterans or active military personnel is ineligible for NHSC support, even if the facilities are in a HPSA.[5] Over 456,000 active military and 5.2 million Veterans have experienced a mental MH/SUD).[6][7] Many face major barriers to care[8], including a shortage of health professionals at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities and a lack of crisis intervention services.[9][10] To improve access to MH/SUD treatment for military personnel, VHA facilities and clinics should be included as a “medical facility” for the NHSC loan repayment programs.[1][2]
citations
1. The Kennedy Forum. Recommendations of Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Last Updated October 2017.
2. The Kennedy Forum. Navigating The New Frontier of Mental Health and Addiction: A Guide for the 115th Congress. Last Updated 2017.
3. Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute. 42 U.S. Code § 254e - Health professional shortage areas. Last Accessed on July 13, 2023.
4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Health Service Corps. Who We Are. Last Accessed on July 13, 2023.
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, National Health Service Corps. How to Meet NHSC Site Eligibility Requirements. Last Updated May 2023.
6. U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. Update: Mental Health Disorders and Mental Health Problems, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016–2020. Last Updated August 1, 2021.
7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Supporting the Behavioral Health Needs of Our Nation’s Veterans. Last Updated November 08, 2022.
8. U.S. Department of Defense, Military Health System, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. Barriers to Care. Last Updated April 1, 2021.
9. James A. Naifeh, Lisa J Colpe, Pablo A. Aliaga, Nancy A. Sampson, Steven G. Heeringa, Murray B. Stein, Robert J. Ursano, Carol S. Fullerton, Matthew K. Nock, Michael Schoenbaum, Alan M. Zaslavsky, Ronald C. Kessler. “Barriers to initiating and continuing mental health treatment among soldiers in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS).” National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Mil Med. Last Updated September 2016.
10. Ronald D. Hester. “Lack of access to mental health services contributing to the high suicide rates among veterans.” National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Int J Ment Health Syst. Last Updated August 18, 2017.