Sponsor
Scott Perry
Representative · R-PA
Representative · R-PA
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Defense to furnish stellate ganglion block to members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 12, 2026 by Scott Perry · Last progress May 12, 2026
The bill expands TRICARE coverage and formalizes clinical guidance to increase access to SGB for service members with PTSD, trading off higher short-term costs, implementation strain, and potential exposure of patients to an invasive treatment whose long‑term benefits are not yet fully established.
Active-duty and reserve service members and other TRICARE beneficiaries with PTSD can access stellate ganglion block (SGB) treatment through military medical facilities or qualified TRICARE providers, expanding treatment options for those with PTSD; the VA/DoD PTSD clinical guideline will be updated within 180 days to include SGB indications and contraindications, improving clinical consistency.
Service members offered SGB must provide informed consent before receiving the procedure, preserving patient autonomy and ensuring providers document discussion of benefits and risks.
TRICARE/DoD costs are likely to rise as coverage expands to include SGB, which could require reallocations in defense medical budgets and have downstream effects for taxpayers and other military health priorities.
Active-duty, reserve members, and veterans could be exposed to an invasive procedure (SGB) whose long‑term effectiveness for PTSD remains uncertain, creating potential patient safety risks and the chance of ineffective or unnecessary interventions.
The mandate to update guidelines and expand access within 180 days may strain clinical training and available qualified providers, producing short‑term access bottlenecks at military facilities and TRICARE networks.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DoD/TRICARE to furnish stellate ganglion block treatment to eligible service members with PTSD and update the VA/DoD PTSD guideline to reflect SGB use.
Requires the Department of Defense to offer stellate ganglion block (SGB) treatment to qualifying service members and reservists enrolled in TRICARE who have been diagnosed with PTSD and choose the treatment after informed consent. Directs the Secretary of Defense to update the VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for PTSD within 180 days to reflect availability of SGB, clinical indicators, and contraindications, and to notify congressional defense committees when the guideline is updated. The new law permits SGB to be furnished at military medical facilities or by qualified TRICARE-participating providers, and its provisions become effective 180 days after enactment.