Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Congress dispensed with a variety of military health matters, from egg freezing to psychedelics, when the National Defense Authorization Act cleared both chambers last week. Here's a rundown:
- Cost-sharing for contraceptives will be eliminated for a trial period of one year, meaning service members won't have to pay out of pocket for birth control from retail or mail-order pharmacies.
- Another reproductive health provision established a one-year pilot program for reimbursing service members who work in hazardous and isolated conditions and may want to freeze their eggs beforehand.
- For the first time, the Department of Defense will be able to fund a clinical study on the effect of psychedelic substances such as MDMA or psilocybin for service members who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury.
- Advocacy groups have been pushing for expanded access to such treatments, and the study could provide justification.
- Earlier this year, the FDA released draft guidance on how to conduct clinical trials for psychedelic substances, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has said the agency is "committed" to studying the effectiveness of such treatments.
Of note: The final draft didn't include an amendment that would have blocked the Defense Department from giving paid leave to service members who travel for an abortion. The issue triggered a Senate standoff over military promotions.
- The legislation also contains a line allowing for Medicare sequestration cuts to be extended for the past five months, and for more than $2 billion in funds to go into the Medicare Improvement Fund.
