Two bills, the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act and the TBI and PTSD Treatment Act, were reintroduced by Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs last week. The bills are co-sponsored by Rep. Gregory Murphy and Rep. Paul Gosar.
According to Biggs, the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act “takes three steps to increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) family caregivers program:
“Caregivers of veterans face immense burdens from unnecessary bureaucracy,” said Biggs. “This bill helps streamline the VA’s family caregiver program and ensures our veterans and caregivers receive the service they rightfully deserve. I look forward to working with my colleagues, veteran advocates, and the administration to pass this bill and ensure our veterans and their caregivers get the service that they deserve.”
The TBI and PTSD Treatment Act directs the Veterans Administration (VA) to furnish Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“This legislation provides veterans an additional option to treat serious mental health conditions,” explained Biggs. “Veterans will be able to use their hard-earned benefits for HBOT to treat TBI and PTSD. Our veterans’ community continues to face a suicide epidemic. Expanding HBOT’s potential gets us one step closer to addressing this preventable crisis.”
The VA provides stipends and support to caregivers for wounded veterans. To be eligible for the program, veterans must have sustained or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 and need personal care services for supervision and protection to help them with daily living activities. Caregivers can include family members or other members of the veteran’s support group that regularly help veterans recovering from injuries. Unfortunately, caregivers and veterans have reported being dropped from the program – often with little explanation or time to appeal the decision.