On the recordApril 25, 2013
as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud to introduce the Veterans Health Promotion Act of 2013, which will address veterans' health and wellness. The most recent statistics show that VA is providing health care to over 6.5 million individual veterans each year, including over 674,000 veterans from the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans are enrolling in VA at a rate of 56 percent, higher than any other group of veterans from previous conflicts. These veterans are receiving some of the best health care this nation has to offer. They can access this care at medical centers, outpatient clinics, vet centers, mobile clinics and through telemedicine. Despite this access to care, many veterans still struggle with their overall wellbeing. Therefore, it is not enough to treat veterans who are very sick. When we focus solely on disease and illness, we miss the broader goal of wellness. We must expand our understanding of the care options necessary to improve veterans' lives. Therefore, I am introducing legislation which would do just that--expand veterans' access a full spectrum of care including wellness and Complementary and Alternative Medicine--known as CAM. VA has made significant strides in providing CAM at VA medical centers. As the name describes, CAM therapies can serve as a complement to traditional care or, for some veterans, as an alternative.…
