On Tuesday, I had the privilege of introducing Linda Bean, the mother of the late Sergeant Coleman S. Bean of East Brunswick, at a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.  As I’ve written previously, Coleman tragically took his own life in September 2008 after two grueling tours in Iraq and repeated unsuccessful efforts to get help for his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Army and the VA. Mrs. Bean spoke powerfully about her son and the need for improved military suicide prevention efforts among members of the Reserves.  You can read her testimony here and watch video of my introduction here.

As Mrs. Bean said, we can help servicemembers and we can help their families; “it is our duty – not theirs – to figure out how.” I continue to work to ensure that members of the reserves have regular access to the counseling they need. The House has passed my legislation to fix the current policy that leaves a gap in care, yet the Senate has not acted. Because we must not delay, I have written the Secretaries of Defense and VA, urging them to take whatever administrative action is needed to spur their respective bureaucracies to ensure that the most at-risk reservists, like Coleman, have direct, easy access to the kinds of suicide prevention services and support structures available to active duty troops.  A copy of my letter can be found here.

The VA deserves credit for its recent rule change that will make it easier for veterans to seek care and compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Telephone Town Hall on Tuesday, July 20 at 7:30

I’ve heard from many constituents who appreciate the convenience of participating in my telephone town hall meetings. I will be holding my next telephone town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m. To join the 1-hour call, please sign up on my website, and you will receive a call on the 20^th. If you are unable to participate at that time, I will post a recording of the town hall on my website, and of course you can contact me at any time with any concerns or questions.

Additionally, if you want to request a meeting with me and an organization to which you belong, please contact my aide Dana Lanzaro at dana.lanzaro@mail.house.gov or call 1-87-RUSH-HOLT.

New Help for Finding Health Insurance Options

Finding affordable health insurance can be difficult, especially if you are in-between jobs or self-employed. Consumers recently got a new tool to help them in this search with the launch of HealthCare.gov. This website, created by the health reform law, is designed to help consumers find all available sources of health coverage, both public and private. In addition to listing all the plans available in the consumer’s local area, the website also includes information on health care quality and scientific recommendations on prevention and wellness.  This website will be improved in coming months with greater information on health insurance plans, including quotes on premiums.