Tag: Treatment

Daines Addresses Montana’s Veterans Long-Standing Concerns

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today moved forward important reforms that increase Montana veterans’ access to healthcare services.  This afternoon, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the FY 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes many of Daines’ reforms that address Montana’s veterans long-standing concerns.  “I am proud to secure important priorities for Montana on behalf of those that served our nation in uniform,” Daines stated.  Daines also successfully included an amendment during the committee process protects veterans’ ability to discuss with VA physicians the use of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.   The amendment would

Daines Announces Over $750,000 to Combat Opioid and Heroin Abuse

U.S. SENATE — Following yesterday’s passage of bipartisan legislation to address prescription opioid abuse and heroin epidemic in America, Senator Steve Daines today announced $379,167 in funding for Bighorn Valley Health Center and $379,167 in funding for Billhook Community Health Center to help tackle this crisis.  “Tackling our nation’s drug epidemic from all sides – to help the victims of addiction dealing with their disease to providing resources for our law enforcement officials – is the only way we’re going to change course and combat drug abuses,” Daines stated. “This funding is critical to helping Montanans get care closer to home and serve those most

Daines Helps Introduce Veterans Choice Improvement Act

U.S. SENATE —Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) today introduced legislation to improve health care services for America’s veterans. Daines’ bill, the Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016 makes major changes to the Veterans Choice Program, which was created in 2014 to allow veterans to get needed health care outside of the VA system, and creates a permanent program with advance funding.  It makes changes and reforms to address the bureaucratic delays, hassles and confusion that veterans continue to experience in attempting to get health care. “Problems with the Choice Act is the number one concern I hear from veterans in Montana,” Daines stated. “We need to

Daines: Systemic Failures at Indian Health Service are Unacceptable

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today pushed Indian Health Service (IHS) officials on the agency’s persistent shortcomings in providing quality reliable access to health care services for tribal members across the nation and called on IHS to urgently implement much-needed reforms to address the deficiencies plaguing the agency.  During a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on the substandard quality of Indian health care in the Great Plains, Daines condemned the systemic failures at IHS that have led to inadequate care for tribal members across Montana. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. “Problems like this have been happening for

Daines Leads Bipartisan Effort Urging VA Officials to Allow Discussion of Medical Marijuana with Patients Where it is Legal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to change its current policy to allow VA doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, like Montana. Daines led a bipartisan group of 21 Senators and Representatives in sending a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald urging the VA to permit doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where it’s legal. Under the current system, VA doctors are not allowed to give recommendations for patients to receive medical marijuana, even