Hoeven’s bill supports alternative therapy for veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on Sept. 18 introduced legislation to direct the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to military veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sen. Hoeven sponsored the TBI and PTSD Treatment Act, S. 2504, with bill cosponsor U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to provide veterans with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Our veterans deserve access to the best possible health care, and that includes alternative options like HBOT when traditional therapies aren’t delivering the outcomes our veterans need,” Sen. Hoeven said.

HBOT is a well-established treatment for several conditions, the Mayo Clinic says, which noted that in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased to three times higher than normal air pressure so that a person’s lungs can gather more oxygen, helping to fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing.

The legislation would build on the VA’s clinical demonstration program for HBOT, which earlier this month was expanded to the Fargo VA Health Care System in Sen. Hoeven’s home state. The local VA is the fifth location to be added to the HBOT program, joining VA systems in California, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas.

“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,” said Sen. Hoeven. “With that program now under way, we are continuing to move the ball forward by advancing this legislation.”

The bill has been referred to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.