The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs this week approved two bills championed by U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) to improve health care for veterans. Loeffler, a member of the Committee, is also the daughter and granddaughter of veterans.

The VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act introduced by Loeffler will help expand the number of health care workers and professionals who can treat veterans via telehealth while ensuring that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care trainees receive the training they need to provide care through telehealth. The Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-Az.) and cosponsored by Loeffler, will require the VA to conduct a pilot program to study the benefits of nonprofit posttraumatic growth programs in an effort to help expand treatment options for veterans who seek innovative therapies to combat PTSD and other mental health issues.

“We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid, but the very least we can do for these heroes is ensure they have the best health care possible,” said Loeffler. “I am proud the Senate VA Committee approved two pieces of legislation I championed to improve health care for our warfighters. The first will improve access to care for our veterans from the comfort of their homes. The second will pilot innovative ways of treating PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions our veterans too often experience. At a time of so much uncertainty, these reforms are even more crucial, and I will continue to fight to ensure they become law.”

Background: 

The Senate VA Committee passed a Loeffler amendment to Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act during the committee mark-up to help ensure that the new program is implemented correctly at the VA. She also successfully advocated for the inclusion of similar language to explore additional mental health treatment options in the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which passed the Senate on August 5th.

The Veterans Posttraumatic Growth Act goes next to the full Senate for consideration.

In addition to passing the Senate VA Committee this week, the VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act was included as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 that passed the Senate in July.