Noteboom The Law Firm

New Bill Simplifies Process for Veterans Seeking Mental Health Care

Approximately 50% of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reach out to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for care of any type. Many veterans who require care have not reached out to the VA or are simply not under their care. Newly introduced legislation will make it easier for those veterans looking to receive mental health care.

The U.S. House passed the Servicemembers' Telemedicine and E-Health Portability Act (STEP-Act) as part of the defense authorization bill. The STEP-Act reduces the amount of red tape which must be negotiated in order to use telemedicine care. Telemedicine care includes:

 

• online chat;
• video links; and
• phone calls.

 

Current law requires telemedicine providers be licensed in the state in which veterans are seeking help. This new bill would require providers only be licensed in the state where they practice. This way, a veteran in Florida could be helped by a provider in Texas via telemedicine mediums. The Department of Defense (DoD) will still require therapy providers to be licensed.

There is no reason veterans seeking mental health care should not be connected to someone able to help, especially given the high number of suicides among veterans and returning soldiers. The need for the care is there, now the care should be available.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.