House Passes Bill to Support Vets' Treatment Programs, Including Yountville's The Pathway Home

 
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed bipartisan legislation to improve treatment options for veterans and active duty soldiers with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress, said its co-sponsors, U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Pete Sessions, R-Texas.

The legislation, an amendment to H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014, allows veterans and service members to access innovative treatments offered outside military and veteran medical facilities.  

If passed into law, it would create a new, five-year, $10 million pilot program that allows military patients to receive treatment from health care facilities outside of the VA that are utilizing an array of leading-edge, successful therapies to treat TBI and PTS.

Under Thompson’s and Sessions’ amendment, physicians and residential treatment centers like The Pathway Home in Yountville may qualify for payment from the Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs through a “pay-for-performance” plan, meaning they must prove that a patient has experienced demonstrable improvement. 

Today, veterans and active duty soldiers across the country feel sense of hopefulness that their need for access to best practice treatment for Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury is close at hand,   Fred Gusman, Executive Director of the Pathway Home in Yountville. "The bipartisan amendment to H.R. 1960, sponsored by Congressmen Mike Thompson and Pete Session is example of how leaders in Washington DC can come together like our military personnel on battlefield.”

Gusman said the legislation helps fulfill America's commitment to people in the military.

"On battlefield,politics is put aside and our men and women stand together to complete the mission at hand, " Gusman said. "In war, there are many obstacles to contend with, and that is expected, but when our warriors return home they expect that our country will 'keep the promise' to provide the care they are entitled to.

"The Thompson-Sessions amendment H.R. 1960 sends clear message that today’s veterans and active duty soldiers will not be left behind,” he added.

Treatment and reimbursement safeguards in the amendment ensure access to innovative private treatments while reserving payment only for treatments that work.

 “Our troops and veterans have earned the very best care America has to offer,” said Thompson. “When the best treatments aren’t available at military and veteran medical facilities, then our servicemembers should be able to go elsewhere.

"Our amendment will make sure that our heroes who return from combat with TBI or PTS have access to the best care, no matter where it’s provided,” he said.