Sponsor
Scott Perry
Representative · R-PA
Representative · R-PA
The bill expands VA coverage and access to an additional PTSD treatment (SGB) and standardizes guidance, at the trade-off of higher VA costs and exposing veterans to an invasive therapy whose long-term effectiveness and safety remain uncertain.
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD can elect to receive stellate ganglion block (SGB) through VA medical centers or authorized community providers, increasing treatment options and geographic access to care.
The VA/DoD PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline will be updated within 180 days to define clinical indicators and contraindications for SGB, helping standardize care and guide clinicians on appropriate use.
Veterans who receive SGB may be exposed to known procedural risks and uncertain long-term benefits, meaning some patients could undergo an invasive treatment with limited evidence of durable efficacy.
Providing SGB through the VA will raise VA healthcare costs and could require reallocating resources or additional appropriations, affecting taxpayers and potentially other VA services.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires VA to furnish stellate ganglion block (SGB) as an available PTSD treatment option and to update VA/DoD PTSD clinical guidelines to include SGB.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish stellate ganglion block to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 12, 2026 by Scott Perry · Last progress May 12, 2026
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer stellate ganglion block (SGB) as a treatment option for veterans enrolled in VA health care who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and who choose SGB after informed consent. Directs the VA to update the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of PTSD within 180 days to reflect SGB as a therapy option and to include clinical indicators and contraindications. Authorizes VA medical centers or authorized non-VA providers to furnish SGB, requires a qualified health care provider to obtain informed consent before the procedure, and makes the new statutory provision effective 180 days after enactment with a clerical update to the Title 38 table of contents.