Cornyn, senators introduce legislation to improve veterans' access to mental healthcare

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), in collaboration with a bipartisan group of senators, has introduced the Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act. This proposed legislation aims to guarantee veterans' access to high-quality mental health care. Joining Cornyn in this initiative are fellow Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Democrats U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

According to the official release, similar legislation has been presented in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Pat Fallon (TX-04) and Sanford Bishop (GA-02). If passed and enacted into law, the bill would mandate a non-governmental agency to carry out a study assessing the quality of care veterans receive from providers within and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The release further stated that while the VA operates the nation's largest integrated health care system for U.S. military veterans, approximately 70% of VA-eligible veterans have received treatment from external providers.

Cornyn's office emphasized the need for such a study, stating, "Given the high rate of veteran suicide due to mental and addiction health conditions, a study is needed to better understand if current practices provide our veterans with the best mental and addiction quality of care."

The senator added that this legislation has received support from prominent organizations including the Disabled American Veterans Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Veteran Health Care Policy Initiative.