Elimination of Co-Payment for Weight Management Counseling

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking direct action to amend its medical regulations concerning co-payments for inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical care. More specifically, this rule designates weight management counseling (individual and group sessions) as a service that is not subject to co-payment requirements. The intended effect of this direct final rule is to increase participation in weight management counseling by removing the co- payment barrier. This direct final rule also amends the medical regulations by making nonsubstantive changes to correct references to statutory provisions.