Veterans TBI HBOT Pilot Act

Summary#

This bill would create a three-year pilot program to give hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to veterans who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Department of Veterans Affairs would run the pilot in two Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). The bill requires that any medical facility used in the pilot be accredited by the Joint Commission, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, or a similar accreditation organization. It would set up a "VA HBOT Fund" in the Treasury. The only money allowed in that fund would be donations given for the express purpose of providing HBOT in the pilot, and the money would be available without a fiscal year limit. The pilot and the fund would end three years after the bill becomes law. HBOT in the bill must use a device either approved by the Food and Drug Administration or operating under an FDA investigational device exemption. The bill also directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to update a 2015 GAO report on HBOT and to assess clinical trials done since 2015 by the VA, the Department of Defense, and private entities. Finally, the bill changes a date in 38 U.S.C. 5503(d)(7), extending a listed boundary from November 30, 2031, to October 30, 2034.

What it means for you#

  • If you are a veteran with TBI or PTSD: you could be eligible to receive HBOT through the pilot if you are served by one of the two selected VISNs and you get care at an accredited facility.
  • The pilot would only run for three years after enactment.
  • The program would be paid only with donations that are given specifically for this HBOT pilot.
  • The bill also orders a GAO update on HBOT research since 2015.

Expenses#

  • The bill creates the "VA HBOT Fund" in the Treasury.
  • The sole source of amounts in the Fund is donations received for the express purpose of providing HBOT under the pilot.
  • Amounts in the Fund would be available without fiscal year limitation.
  • No publicly available information on overall cost estimates or budget impacts is provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information on proponents' views is included in the provided bill text or metadata.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the provided bill text or metadata.