John Boozman Asks VA Secretary Doug Collins About Using Psychedelics To Treat Veterans With PTSD

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During a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing last week, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) questioned VA Secretary Doug Collins about PTSD psychedelic therapy.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much for being here, Secretary.

00:05The VA owes it to the veterans it serves to evolve and provide them with the best possible experience.

00:13I appreciate your commitment to improving delivery of veterans' health care and benefits.

00:18I know improving the veteran experience is a priority that both you and I share,

00:23and we appreciate your hard work in trying to get that done.

00:27I want to thank you for submitting your fiscal year 2025 spend plan in a timely manner.

00:33The plan raised some questions with the Appropriations Committee, and this committee, as some of the numbers differ from what we expected.

00:40To date, none of those questions have been answered in repeated requests for a briefing on the plan if not yet yielded results.

00:48As we are trying to get our appropriations bills done,

00:53will you commit to sending a team over to brief us as to what's going on and give us a little bit more detail so that we can work together?

01:05Yes, Senator. We'll be happy to do that.

01:07To get things done.

01:08Very good. That was easy.

01:10Yes.

01:11For 225, 2026.

01:128 Excuse me?

01:1320-26.

01:13Your 2026 budget request proposes a certificate reduction in VA's IT systems,

01:20DOGE review of the nearly 1,000 unique systems at the VA isn't complete yet.

01:27Would you consider balancing your proposed reduction in funding until we actually get that report done to see what they find is needed?

01:37We're looking at that right now as far as what we do need,

01:40and we'll be able to work with you as we go forward on that.

01:42Very good.

01:44You recently announced the ending of the VA Service Purchase Program, or VSP.

01:50That saw the VA take on modified home loans for veterans' risk for foreclosure.

01:55I support the VA looking for ways to avoid the financial risk that VSP exposed the agency to.

02:02We're worried about the current population of delinquent veterans who are now enrolled.

02:09It's my understanding that as of May 1st, delinquent veterans who are not already enrolled in VSP

02:14are now at risk of foreclosure.

02:17Now that VSP is unavailable, how does the VA plan to help veterans at risk of foreclosure?

02:24I think one of the things that we're looking at is any other programs that are out there also that we go forward.

02:29But I think when you have to look at the organization, is this an area that we need to be in?

02:33And I think those are the kind of things that the decision there was in people that had mortgages that were coming due.

02:40It was beginning to be a larger burden because we're not a system that's set up to own property.

02:45So we're going to be working that.

02:46And as I said earlier to one of the senators, I think we're also looking at it from a perspective.

02:50I know there's some legislation being talked about about partial claims and stuff that can help them in the long term.

02:55Good.

02:56Now, I'd appreciate you looking at that.

02:58You know, it's one thing to, you know, going forward.

03:01It's another thing for those individuals that are caught up in that now and makes it really difficult.

03:09How did the VA make the decision to reduce the VA's remote temperature monitoring program for veterans

03:14who have demonstrated both clinical benefit and cost savings to the VA?

03:21Could you repeat the question?

03:22Well, the VA's recent changes have impacted veterans' access to the remote temperature monitoring program.

03:30As you may be aware, this program is critical in preventing and reducing amputations required

03:35because of ulcers and other diabetic foot complications.

03:40Effective prevention of amputations results in significant cost savings for the VA.

03:45Again, are you aware of that?

03:49And if so, how did we come to that conclusion?

03:53Senator, I'll have to get back with you on that one.

03:55I've prepared for a lot of things.

03:57That was just one I'll just have to get back to.

03:59Good.

04:00Now, I understand.

04:00You certainly have a lot going on.

04:04During your remarks at President Trump's April 30th cabinet meeting,

04:10you mentioned that you and Secretary Kennedy have discussed the potential of researching psychedelics

04:15as an effective tool to combat PSTD, TBI, and other mental issues.

04:21Can you provide further details on how your team plans to take action on this interest?

04:26I think the committee is very interested.

04:29I can.

04:29I think it's something that I'm committed to doing whatever we can to provide veterans

04:34and those who have maybe not responded to traditional care and others,

04:37especially in the area of PTS, also TBI, the other issues that we're dealing with,

04:42that lead to a lot of what we've seen in suicide and death by suicide.

04:46So we're looking at right now that I think there's 11 studies that are going on.

04:51Some, most are performed outside the VA with our help.

04:54MDMA is another one I just saw a program at Emory University in which they're seeing some really good results,

05:01a single treatment then followed up by two weeks of intensive counseling that actually has lowered the score number on the PTS scale.

05:11I think these, I'm willing to say this, is I want to work with, and I said this with HHS and with others,

05:16that make sure that we're not closing off any outlet for a veteran who could have, be helped by these programs.

05:24And I think, you know, we'll definitely be working with Congress on that if there seems to be something else we need to have.

05:28Very good.

05:29Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:30Sir Sanders.

05:31Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:32Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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