text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Back and Spinal Therapy 
  Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) One in five members of the Armed Forces who were 
          wounded and evacuated from Afghanistan during the summer and 
          early fall of 2009 suffered a spinal injury, and at least 14 of 
          such members were left paralyzed or with loss of sensation.
              (2) In Afghanistan, members of the Armed Forces routinely 
          carry up to 33 percent more than the suggested maximum weight 
          and up to nearly 75 percent of a member's own body weight--
          routinely hefting combat gear that can exceed 120 pounds, 
          causing large numbers of spinal, back, and musculoskeletal 
          injuries and pain.
              (3) The use of massive improvised explosive devices by 
          insurgents against heavily armed mine resistant ambush 
          protected vehicles has significantly increased the number of 
          spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain.
              (4) Advances in both body armor protection and medical 
          treatment have drastically decreased the number of deaths among 
          deployed members of the Armed Forces, but there has been an 
          increase in the number of members with spinal, back, and 
          musculoskeletal injuries and long-term pain.
              (5) Members of the Armed Forces returning from Iraq are 
          more likely to suffer lingering, debilitating injuries from 
          back and musculoskeletal pain than from battle wounds, 
          according to statistics compiled by the Secretary of Veterans 
          Affairs.
              (6) Diagnoses of ruptured spinal discs, compressed discs, 
          degenerative disc disease, and myofascial pain syndrome are 
          common in members of the Armed Forces returning from 
          Afghanistan and Iraq.
              (7) Spinal and back injuries are the most expensive 
          musculoskeletal disorder to treat.
              (8) Certain facilities of the Department of Veterans 
          Affairs offer outstanding non-invasive technologies for 
          treating spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries as well as 
          any accompanying mental health issues.
              (9) Traditional medical approaches to spinal, back, and 
          musculoskeletal injuries typically involve a combination of 
          long-term medication, surgery, and short-term physical therapy.
              (10) Using non-invasive techniques to treat veterans with 
          spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries can improve the 
          health outcomes for such veterans and drastically reduce the 
          long-term costs of care for such veterans by breaking the cycle 
          of expensive surgery followed by long-term pain medication that 
          often leads to addiction, depression, anxiety, and weight gain.
              (11) Non-invasive techniques that are not widely available 
          in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
          including manual physical therapy, core strengthening and 
          stabilization therapy, water exercise therapy, group exercise 
          therapy, and pain management therapy, should be evaluated in an 
          evidence-based medicine framework to assess their 
          effectiveness.
  
  SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE VETERANS WITH NON-INVASIVE TECHNIQUES 
                FOR SPINAL, BACK, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES.
  
      (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
  establish a pilot program to--
              (1) provide covered veterans with non-invasive techniques 
          to treat spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain; 
          and
              (2) use an evidence-based medicine framework to assess the 
          effectiveness of such non-invasive techniques.
      (b) Scope.--
              (1) Size.--The pilot program shall include a representative 
          sample of covered veterans that is of sufficient size for the 
          Secretary to determine--
                      (A) the effectiveness and feasibility of providing 
                  veterans with non-invasive techniques to treat spinal, 
                  back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain; and
                      (B) the unique considerations that exist with 
                  respect to providing such treatment--
                              (i) to female veterans;
                              (ii) to veterans of various ages; and
                              (iii) to veterans located in various 
                          regions of the United States, including both 
                          urban and rural locations.
              (2) Preference.--In selecting covered veterans to 
          participate in the pilot program, the Secretary shall give 
          preference to covered veterans who served in Operation Enduring 
          Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn.
      (c) Administration.--In administering the pilot program, the 
  Secretary shall--
              (1) determine the type of non-invasive technique to provide 
          to a covered veteran;
              (2) determine the effect of allowing self-referral by a 
          veteran to receive non-invasive techniques compared with 
          requiring a veteran to receive a referral from a physician for 
          non-invasive techniques; and
              (3) ensure the use of telehealth technology to provide 
          covered veterans who reside in rural locations (as determined 
          by the Secretary) with non-invasive techniques to treat spinal, 
          back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain.
      (d) Partnership.--
              (1) University.--In administering the pilot program, the 
          Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with a 
          university affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs 
          to carry out the pilot program.
              (2) Selection.--In entering into an agreement with a 
          university under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that 
          the individuals who treat covered veterans with non-invasive 
          techniques for spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and 
          pain--
                      (A) are trained to--
                              (i) effectively treat such veterans; and
                              (ii) recognize the unique experiences of 
                          such veterans, including experiences related to 
                          serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, 
                          Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn; 
                          and
                      (B) use best practices and technologies with 
                  respect to the non-invasive technique being used to 
                  treat such veterans.
      (e) Duration.--The pilot program shall begin not later than March 
  1, 2011, and shall continue for two years.
      (f) Reports.--
              (1) Initial report.--Not later than June 1, 2012, the 
          Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
          the House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' 
          Affairs of the Senate a report on the pilot program, 
          including--
                      (A) an analysis of the effectiveness and cost-
                  effectiveness of each non-invasive technique provided 
                  under the pilot program;
                      (B) an analysis of how the Secretary would 
                  incorporate non-invasive techniques to treat spinal, 
                  back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain at medical 
                  facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs;
                      (C) the amount of cost-savings, if any, created by 
                  providing veterans with non-invasive techniques to 
                  treat spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and 
                  pain;
                      (D) a comparison of the non-invasive techniques 
                  provided under the pilot program with other methods 
                  used by the Secretary to treat spinal, back, and 
                  musculoskeletal injuries and pain; and
                      (E) recommendations of the Secretary with respect 
                  to--
                              (i) continuing or expanding the pilot 
                          program; and
                              (ii) any legislation or other actions to 
                          improve treating veterans with spinal, back, 
                          and musculoskeletal injuries and pain.
              (2) Final report.--Not later than June 1, 2013, the 
          Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
          the House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' 
          Affairs of the Senate a report containing updated information 
          to the report submitted under paragraph (1).
      (g) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran who--
                      (A) has a service-connected spinal, back, or 
                  musculoskeletal injury; or
                      (B) is eligible for hospital care, medical 
                  services, and nursing home care by virtue of section 
                  1710(e)(1)(D) of title 38, United States Code.
              (2) The term ``non-invasive techniques'' means methods of 
          treatment for spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and 
          pain other than surgery, including--
                      (A) manual physical therapy, core strengthening and 
                  stabilization therapy, water exercise therapy, group 
                  exercise therapy, and pain management therapy;
                      (B) such methods (including recreational therapy) 
                  used by the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center 
                  of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Palo 
                  Alto, California, and the mindfulness based stress 
                  reduction program of the Puget Sound Health Care System 
                  of the Department of Veterans Affairs that the 
                  Secretary determines to have been successful; and
                      (C) such other methods not widely available in 
                  medical facilities of the Department of Veterans 
                  Affairs.
target: Veterans Back and Spinal Therapy Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a two-year pilot program to: (1) provide covered veterans with non-invasive techniques to treat spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain; and (2) use an evidence-based medicine framework to assess the effectiveness of such techniques. Includes as a covered veteran one who: (1) has a service-connected spinal, back, or musculoskeletal injury; or (2) is eligible for VA hospital or nursing home care or medical services by reason of active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War.
  
  Requires the Secretary, in selecting program participants, to give a preference to veterans who served in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, or New Dawn.
feat_title: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of treating veterans with spinal, back, and musculoskeletal injuries and pain using non-invasive techniques.