Veterans groups want more focus on mental health and care issues unique to veteran populations. Almost 40 percent of an Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans group suffers from chronic pain, frequently requiring prescribed opioid pain medication, but veterans are twice as likely to die from an accidental overdose, requiring a delicate balance in care. The Support for Patients and Communities Act enacted in October 2018 included some help for veterans, but critical provisions that would have increased enforcement for current laws requiring parity for insurance coverage for mental health treatment were left out of the final bill.
