Reps. Pat Fallon (R-TX) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA) introduced a bipartisan bill to address the quality of mental and behavioral healthcare veterans receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The bill is titled the Veterans' Mental and Behavioral Health Quality of Care Act of 2023 and seeks to study where the country's VA system falls short regarding the mental and behavioral healthcare provided to veterans.
“America’s veterans deserve the best care as well as a choice in the matter," Fallon said in a statement. "This bill would require the VA to conduct an independent study to determine whether it is, in fact, providing the necessary level of care when compared to private sector alternatives. It is critical that we identify proven healthcare treatment methods to address the ongoing mental health crisis afflicting our veteran community."
The study would look at the difference in the quality of care between those in the VA network and private providers by examining the differences in health outcomes between the two providers and identifying gaps in coordination between VA facilities and private providers.
Fallon and Bishop served in the military — Fallon in the Air Force and Bishop in the Army. Both members said veterans deserve access to quick and effective mental healthcare, especially as suicide rates among veterans continue to be significantly higher than that of nonveteran adults.
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According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 16.8 veterans committed suicide daily in 2020. In the same year, when adjusted for age and sex, the suicide rate for veterans was 57.3% greater for veterans than for adults who are not veterans, the department found.
“When we thank our veterans for their military service, it cannot be an empty gesture. Congress must ensure that top-notch, evidence-based practices are used to care for our veterans to support their mental health and treat conditions like PTSD and depression,” Bishop said in a statement. “Through this bipartisan bill that Congressman Fallon and I are introducing, we aim to create a stronger, better-coordinated veterans’ healthcare system. By comparing VA and non-VA providers, we can identify any gaps as well as determine best practices to deliver better mental and behavioral healthcare for our veterans.”