A quiet rider on the Defense authorization bill passed by the House on Thursday should make it easier for veterans to get mental health treatment--and perhaps other types of medical care as well, its sponsor says.
The amendment sponsored by Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., cuts through some of the red tape that hampers military doctors, psychologists, and contractors who treat service members using telemedicine, such as Skype, video link, or even simple telephone calls.
The Servicemembers’ Telemedicine and E-Health Portability Act helps bypass individual state licensing requirements so that a licensed medical professional in one state can treat a patient in another, without having to get a medical license in the patient’s state. All the professionals must be licensed by the Defense Department.
”We have seen a significant increase in posttraumatic stress disorder,” Thompson said in a telephone interview. “What sparked my specific interest in this was the alarming rate of suicides that occur both on post and at home.”
According to the Defense Health Board, 1,100 servicemen and women committed suicide from 2005 to 2009--one suicide every day and a half. The Army's suicide rate doubled in that time. About 1.9 million U.S. service memebrs have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, many on repeated deployments with less than a year in between to rest.
The U.S. military, which once ignored the mental toll that war can take, is actively trying to treat these men and women. Among the many barriers are licensing requirements and a lack of professionals. People may also be embarrassed to seek treatment.
Thompson hopes this bill can get around those problems.
“It was really designed around mental health but, frankly, once it is in place there is not a reason in world that if a service member needs access to another type of specialty medicine … telemedicine could not be used,” Thompson said.
Active-duty service members are treated at Defense Department facilities by DOD-licensed professionals. The problem comes when they come back from deployment--especially National Guard and reservists. “When it comes to behavioral health, the Guard and Reserve have been hit especially hard,” Thompson said in comments on the House floor.
“This will allow our National Guard, Reserve, veterans, and retirees quicker and more-efficient access to care, and open the door to allow for modernization of DOD health care delivery,” Thompson said.
“This amendment will allow for new technologies in telephone and Internet communications to expand into the Department of Defense, which will greatly expand access, especially in rural America. It will also allow more specialists to be involved in providing care.”
Thompson said that most service members were used to using Skype, an Internet-based service that allows users to speak by telephone or webcam, and other Internet technologies to stay in touch with friends and family, and they should adapt well to telemedicine.
Studies have shown that telemedicine can be an effective way to manage a number of diseases, from psychological problems to multiple sclerosis.
Source: NationalJournal
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