US HB5919

Secretary of Veterans Affairs must complete within 18 months a review of all opioid overdose deaths among veterans who received VA care during the preceding five-year period

Review must include demographic data, medications prescribed and found at death, medical diagnoses, concurrent prescriptions, combat/trauma history, and time elapsed between last opioid prescription and death

VA facilities with high prescription and drug abuse treatment rates must be identified, along with department policies on prescribing and efforts to track and dispose of unused opioids

Secretary must submit findings to Congress and make the report publicly available within 45 days of completing the review, including recommendations to reduce veteran overdose rates

Congressional findings note VA patients are 7 times more likely to have opioid use disorder than commercially insured patients, and veteran overdose deaths from all opioids increased 65% from 2010 to 2016