Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Whole Health for Veterans Act.
(a) Sense of Congress
Congress encourages further development of the Whole Health program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which encourages veterans to proactively improve their health and wellness. Under the Department’s current policy, veterans in priority groups (1) through (5) are exempted from making copayments under this program. It is the sense of Congress that the Department should provide all veterans with affordable access to Whole Health well-being services.
(b) Copayments
Subchapter III of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
(a) In general
Notwithstanding subsections (f) and (g) of section 1710 and section 1722A(a) of this title or any other provision of law, the Secretary may not require a veteran to make any copayment for the receipt by that veteran of Whole Health well-being services, except as provided in this section.
(c) Definition
In this section, the term Whole Health well-being services means—
(1) educational and skill-building services that educate, instruct, and empower veterans to understand and implement the principles and practices of Whole Health, such as Whole Health coaching, Whole Health partner sessions, and Whole Health education and skill-building courses; and
(2) complementary and integrative health well-being services that promote health, well-being, and self-care independent of treatment of a specific medical condition or diagnosis, such as guided imagery, meditation, Tai Chi/Qigong, and yoga for well-being.
(c) Clerical amendment
The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1730C the following new item: