Bills introduced in the House and Senate would authorize the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs to establish and operate a statewide integrated health care system for Alabama veterans and their immediate family members.

HB197 by state Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger's Island) and SB135 by Republican Sen. Andrew Jones would authorize that process.

As envisioned, the department would establish four to six residential health care facilities across the state and support as many as 25 outpatient clinics co-located with or adjacent to the department's Veterans Services offices.

“The suicide rate among veterans is twice that of nonveterans. Veterans make up just under 10 percent of the state's population, but veteran suicides account for 18 percent of the state's suicides. ” said retired Maj. Gen. Mike Sumrall, former adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard. “The tragic truth is that a veteran in Alabama takes their own life every 2.4 days. We need to provide our veterans with better access to medical care, including mental health care. This bill would significantly reduce wait times for appointments and create peer-to-peer, culturally appropriate programs tailored specifically for veterans that are currently not offered by other health care providers in the state. By providing this, you will go a long way toward achieving that goal.”

Since 2012, Alabama has led the nation in opioid prescriptions per capita each year. Opioid overdoses in Alabama have increased nearly every year since 2015, despite the Alabama Department of Mental Health spending $40 million annually to the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, and veterans No budget was allocated for special care for children and their families.

Many veterans rely on opioids and other substances to cope with physical pain, emotional pain, and trauma, and research shows a clear link between opioid use and suicide among veterans. Between 2010 and 2019, opioid overdoses among Alabama veterans increased by 93.4 percent.

The Alabama Chapter Council of the American Military Officers Association is asking Congress to take up the bill this session.

“By implementing an integrated health care system designed to meet the unique needs of veterans, the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs provides primary care, mental health care, and other life-saving services to thousands of veterans and their families each year. “We can provide relief to victims as well as provide relief to the overburdened federal veterans health care system,” the council said in a statement.