Congress: Is Integrative Medicine at VA en route?
| Congress: Is Integrative Medicine at the VA en route? |
| A new era for Integrative and Holistic Medicine was quietly ushered in with a proposed directive that treatments such as yoga, acupuncture, and meditation should be used before drugs at the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by the U.S. House of Representatives.
On May 21, 2019, the U.S. House passed their Whole Veteran Act by unanimous voice consent, which would require the VA to study what alternative and holistic health services it offers now and determine how much it would cost to expand those services throughout the Veterans Health Administration. It goes to the Senate next for consideration. The goal of the bill is to give veterans more control to manage their healthcare by allowing them personal choices for treatments that work best. U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, a sponsor of the bill, said, “We believe that the future of health care is going to involve a mix of old and new methods of treatment…It turns out that not all doctors think that the best way to deal with chronic pain or [post-traumatic stress disorder] or depression is to simply hand out more pills” He added, “In the right combination, holistic treatments can be safer and more affordable than traditional medicine.” Under this legislation, the VA would study therapies including massage, chiropractic care, guided imagery, equine therapy, tai chi, qi gong and other holistic treatments, according to the Washington Bureau Chief, Post-Gazette. Learn more here. |
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