Should the VA Report to Congress on its Holistic Mental Health Programming for Veterans? (H.R. 2359)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 2359?
(Updated November 29, 2020)
This bill was enacted on October 30, 2020
This bill — the Whole Veteran Act — would require Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide Congress with information regarding the accessibility and availability of components of Whole Health programs at VA facilities including massage, chiropractic services, whole health clinician services and coaching, acupuncture, healing touch, whole health group services, guided imagery, mediation and yoga, among other holistic treatments.
The report would also include: 1) an assessment of the health outcomes derived from the listed services, 2) an assessment of the resources required to expand such services to the entire VA, and 3) a plan to provide to services listed above to veterans in areas without a community-based outpatient clinic, medical center, Vet Center, or community living center.
Argument in favor
Mental and holistic health care for veterans is badly needed: 20 veterans die by suicide every day — an unconscionably high number. The VA needs to be held accountable for the mental health and holistic care it’s providing to veterans; reporting to Congress is one mechanism to ensure this accountability.
Argument opposed
The VA is already systematically rolling its Whole Health program out across the VA health care system. Rather than diverting resources away from this important initiative to create the report this bill would mandate, it’d be better to let the VA focus on expanding and enhancing the Whole Health program to reach as many veterans as possible.
Impact
Veterans; veterans’ mental health care; holistic care for veterans; VA; VA Whole Health program; and Congress.
Cost of H.R. 2359
The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2020-2024 period.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) introduced this bill to require the Veterans Administration (VA) to provide Congress with information regarding VA’s Whole Health Program and thereby ensure that all necessary tools are available to veterans for their individual mental health needs:
“As a nation, we share a deep concern regarding the high rate of veteran suicide across the country. Physical, emotional, and mental health needs are all interconnected, and it is essential that Whole Health programs and treatments focus on the whole veteran instead of concentrating on an isolated condition. This legislation will help identify the current gaps in availability so the VA, along with Congress, can take the adequate steps to improve the mental health and well-being of all our veterans no matter where they live.”
Original cosponsor Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) adds:
“Twenty veterans die by suicide every day in the United States. That’s unacceptable. Some of the wounds our veterans face aren’t always visible, so we need to do a better job of providing them with the mental health resources and tools needed to get on the path to recovery. The Whole Veteran Act will advance our efforts to ensure critical Whole Health programs—including chiropractic services, whole health group services, meditation, and yoga—are available and accessible at every VA facility. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. We owe it to them to provide the care they need when they return home.”
House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) says:
“If we're serious about reducing veteran suicide, we must provide veterans access to programs that promote overall mental health and wellness. That’s why I’m proud to support Congressman Lamb’s bill that will ensure VA’s holistic health care programming is available and accessible for our veterans regardless of where they live.”
This bill passed the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee with the support of two bipartisan cosponsors, Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
Of Note: The VA’s Whole Health program is a holistic approach to the multiple areas of life that can affect veterans’ health. This includes their work environment, relationships, diet, sleep patterns, and more. As of March 15, 2018, there were 19 facilities designated VA Whole Health Flagship Sites:
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VA Boston Health Care System
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VA New Jersey Health Care System (East Orange)
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Erie VA Medical Center (VAMC) (Pennsylvania)
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Beckley VAMC (West Virginia)
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W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center (Salisbury, North Carolina)
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Atlanta VAMC
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Tampa VAMC (Florida)
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Tennessee Valley Health Care System (Nashville and Murfreesboro)
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Aleda E. Lutz VAMC (Saginaw, Michigan)
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Tomah VAMC (Wisconsin)
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St. Louis VA Health Care System (Missouri)
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Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (Little Rock)
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South Texas Veterans Health Care System (San Antonio)
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Salt Lake City VAMC
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VA Portland Health Care System (Oregon)
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Palo Alto VAMC (Livermore, California)
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Tucson VAMC (Arizona)
- VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System (Omaha, Nebraska)
In addition to the VA flagship sites, the following facilities are Whole Health Design Sites, which are focused on implementing specific elements of the Whole Health System and/or expanding their existing efforts to implement a more comprehensive Whole Health capability:
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Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital (Bedford, Massachusetts)
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Birmingham Alabama VAMC
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Central California VA Health Care System (Fresno)
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Cincinnati VAMC
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John D. Dingell VAMC (Detroit, Michigan)
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Fargo VA Health Care System (North, Dakota)
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Kansas City VAMC (Missouri)
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William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital (Madison, Wisconsin)
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Manchester VAMC (New Hampshire)
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Mountain Home VAMC (Tennessee)
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Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Medical Center (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
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Syracuse VAMC (New York)
- West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (Florida)
In 2017, the following facilities were Whole Health Design Sites. Those with asterisks were later designated as Whole Health System Flagship Sites:
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Baltimore VAMC
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Central Arkansas Health Care System* (Little Rock)
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Durham VAMC (North Carolina)
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VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System
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VA Hudson Valley Health Care System (Montrose, New York)
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Iowa City VA Health Care System
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Minneapolis VA Health Care System
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VA Portland Health Care System*
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San Francisco VA Health Care System
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VA St. Louis Health Care System*
- Tomah VAMC*
In 2016, the following facilities were Whole Health Design Sites. Those with asterisks were later designated as Whole Health System Flagship Sites:
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VA Boston Healthcare System*
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Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (Biloxi, Mississippi)
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VA North Texas Health Care System/Plano Community Based Outpatient Clinic (Plano, Texas)
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Washington DC VAMC Jesse Brown VAMC (Chicago, Illinois)
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Harry S. Truman Memorial (Columbia, Missouri)
- W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center (Salisbury, North Carolina)*
In addition to the Whole Health flagship and design sites, all VA medical centers (VAMCs) offer an Introduction to Whole Health learning opportunity for transitioning service members, family members and currently enrolled Veterans.
Congress and the VA are under increasing pressure to address veteran mental health and suicide due to four veteran suicides at VA facilities in April 2019 alone, as well as the unchanging rate of 20 veteran suicides per day.
The Washington Post reports that veterans are 1.5 times as likely as civilians to die by suicide, after adjusting for age and gender. The VA reports that in 2016, the veteran suicide rate was 26.1 per 100,000, versus 17.4 per 100,000 for non-veteran adults.
Media:
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Sponsoring Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) Press Release
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Original Cosponsor Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) Press Release
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CBO Cost Estimate
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Washington Post (Context)
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VA Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Press Release (Context)
Summary by Lorelei Yang
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