The HBOT Access Act of 2025 would amend title 38 to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to veterans who have traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder and who have completed at least two evidence-based treatment options. The statute adds a new section to the U.S. Code establishing the VA’s responsibility to provide HBOT to eligible veterans.
The findings accompanying the bill emphasize veteran suicide risk and advocate non-drug treatments as viable options that the VA should consider or expand beyond current prescriptions.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill creates a new authority (1710F) that requires the VA Secretary to furnish HBOT to veterans with TBI or PTSD who have not fewer than two evidence-based treatments.
Who It Affects
Veterans with TBI or PTSD; VA healthcare facilities and clinicians who would administer HBOT under this authority.
Why It Matters
It formalizes access to HBOT as a treatment option within the VA, positioning HBOT as part of non-drug therapy strategies for conditions with significant suicide risk and quality-of-life implications.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The core move is to insert a new provision into Title 38 that authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Eligible veterans are those diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or PTSD who have already tried at least two evidence-based treatments for their condition.
The Secretary would be responsible for providing HBOT within the VA system under this authority, expanding the set of approved therapies available to these veterans. The bill also records findings about veteran suicide risk and emphasizes the exploration of non-drug modalities as part of a broader treatment strategy.
Finally, a clerical amendment adds a new entry to the table of sections to accommodate the new 1710F subsection.
The Five Things You Need to Know
New authority: inserts 1710F into Title 38 to authorize HBOT for TBI and PTSD.
Eligibility: veterans must have used at least two evidence-based treatments before HBOT is furnished.
Covered conditions: traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Clerical change: adjusts the table of sections to include the new 1710F entry.
Policy intent: frames HBOT as a non-drug treatment option aimed at reducing suicide risk and expanding VA care options.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Short Title
This Act may be cited as the HBOT Access Act of 2025. The short title establishes the formal name for the bill and signals the policy focus on hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans.
Findings
The bill sets out findings about the elevated suicide risk among veterans and the need for alternatives to prescription drugs, opioids, or invasive procedures. It argues that HBOT is a proven treatment for symptoms of traumatic brain injury and PTSD and should be accessible to veterans at high risk of self-harm, framing HBOT as part of a broader shift toward non-drug therapies.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Authority
Section 1710F would authorize the Secretary to furnish HBOT to veterans who have a traumatic brain injury or PTSD and who have used at least two evidence-based treatments. This creates a new entitlement within the VA healthcare framework, subject to the specified eligibility gate. The section also adds 1710F to the table of sections, ensuring the new authority is technically integrated into Title 38.
Table of Sections Amendment
The table of sections is amended by inserting the new item 1710F after 1710E, formally recognizing the new authority and ensuring proper cross-referencing within the U.S. Code.
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Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Veterans with traumatic brain injury or PTSD who meet the treatment criteria and could gain access to HBOT within the VA system.
- VA healthcare facilities and clinicians who would administer HBOT as a covered therapy within standard care pathways.
- Veteran service organizations and advocates who campaign for expanded access to non-drug treatment options for veterans.
- HBOT providers and facilities that could participate in VA programs and referrals.
Who Bears the Cost
- Department of Veterans Affairs: costs associated with providing HBOT services, equipment, maintenance, and personnel.
- Taxpayers, to the extent the VA budget absorbs HBOT-related expenditures and potential program ramp-up costs.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is balancing a potentially beneficial non-drug therapy for a high-risk group against questions of evidence, cost, and access. Providing HBOT hinges on accepting the premise that it is an effective treatment for TBI/PTSD in veterans, while also ensuring timely access and avoiding delays caused by the prerequisite two treatment options and by budgetary constraints.
The bill relies on the use of ‘evidence-based treatments’ as a gating mechanism, which could create definitional and implementation questions about what qualifies. It does not yet authorize any funding; therefore, budgetary pressures on the VA could affect rollout, access in rural or under-resourced facilities, and provider availability.
The clarity of eligibility timing (e.g., how recent the two evidence-based treatments must be or whether prior HBOT trials are disqualifying) remains to be specified in implementing guidance. The measure also presumes the medical effectiveness and safety of HBOT for these conditions in the veteran population, which has been a topic of ongoing debate in medical literature.
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