U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) recently joined a Republican effort to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to certain United States military veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
“We need to ensure that our veterans have access to the treatment and care necessary to help them recover,” said Sen. Hoeven. “The men and women who have served our nation deserve the highest quality care, and allowing HBOT as an option for veterans who continue to struggle with PTSD or TBI will better provide them with access to the care they have earned.”
The HBOT Access Act of 2021, S. 2189, which Sen. Hoeven cosponsored with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and fellow cosponsor U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), would make such therapy an available resource for veterans who have exhausted other treatment options.
“We worked for more than a year to bring HBOT access to veterans in North Dakota and Minnesota under the VA’s clinical demonstration program,” Sen. Hoeven said. “Now, we’re working to advance legislation that will build on that pilot program and provide veterans across the nation with access to HBOT when traditional therapies aren’t delivering the outcomes our veterans need.”
The legislation has been referred to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.