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Committee advances bill to add hyperbaric-oxygen therapy as an option for veterans with PTSD
Summary
Representative Scott Sharp and a veteran advocate asked the committee to add hyperbaric-oxygen therapy as an optional treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress; supporters said the change adds no cost and the committee advanced House Bill 369 to consent after an 8–0 vote.
Representative Scott Sharp asked the Senate Standing Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs & Public Protection to add hyperbaric-oxygen chambers as an option for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"We're adding the hyperbaric chambers to a bill that's already been passed into law, and we're trying to help out veterans with the post traumatic stress disorder," Sharp said, introducing the bill and a veteran witness.
Eric Colleda, who identified himself as a 10-year Air Force veteran and co‑founder of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment for Kentucky Vets, told the committee that recent clinical work supports the therapy. "Since that passage, there's been over 28 clinical trials completed," he said, and he referenced a meta‑analysis and a 2018 segment by Dr. Daniel Pearl at Bethesda Medical Hospital that, Colleda said, links blast‑wave brain injury to PTSD and describes hyperbaric oxygen as healing damaged brain tissue. Colleda said his program has had 16 veterans enter treatment, with four re‑diagnosed and 12 awaiting care.
Committee members framed the bill as an optional treatment that would not increase Commonwealth spending. A member who identified as a retired Navy SEAL described colleagues who "swear by" the therapy; the chair thanked the witnesses and cited local examples of expanded treatment capacity at a Baptist Health facility in the district.
The committee moved and seconded a motion to advance HB 369 with a favorable recommendation. The clerk reported the count as 8–0; the committee placed the bill on consent to move forward to the floor.
The bill, as presented, adds hyperbaric-oxygen therapy as an available treatment option for eligible veterans; committee members said they welcomed further evidence but did not require additional fiscal resources for the Commonwealth. No amendments altering funding or eligibility were recorded in committee.
What happens next: HB 369 received a favorable committee recommendation and was placed on the consent calendar for floor consideration.
