---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1709A"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1709A"
heading: "Teleconsultation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1709A"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 17 — Hospital, Nursing Home, Domiciliary, and Medical Care"
  - "Subchapter I — General"
---

# §1709A. Teleconsultation

- (a) **Teleconsultation.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall carry out an initiative of teleconsultation for the provision of remote mental health and traumatic brain injury assessments in [facilities of the Department](/usc/38/1701.md?p=3) that are not otherwise able to provide such assessments without contracting with third-party providers or reimbursing providers through a fee basis system.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall, in consultation with appropriate professional societies, promulgate technical and clinical care standards for the use of teleconsultation services within [facilities of the Department](/usc/38/1701.md?p=3).
  - (3) In carrying out an initiative under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall ensure that [facilities of the Department](/usc/38/1701.md?p=3) are able to provide a mental health or traumatic brain injury assessment to a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) through contracting with a third-party provider or reimbursing a provider through a fee basis system when—
    - (A) such facilities are not able to provide such assessment to the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) without—
      - (i) such contracting or reimbursement; or
      - (ii) teleconsultation; and
    - (B) providing such assessment with such contracting or reimbursement is more clinically appropriate for the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) than providing such 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.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 112–154, title I, § 108(a)(1), Aug. 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 1174.)