The TREAT Astronauts Act authorizes occupationally related medical monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment for our former astronauts who have completed at least one spaceflight mission. In general:
- For our former civil servant astronauts, NASA is working closely with the Department of Labor (DOL) to plan for implementation. In this plan, we initiated 2 items that will streamline the claims process for astronauts.
- DOL assigned their Special Claims Office in Cleveland, Ohio to handle all astronaut claims. This move will centralize astronaut claims for review by Special Claims Examiners who are knowledgeable about astronaut health conditions. The team at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is actively working to train DOL Special Claims Examiners on the special hazards and conditions of spaceflight.
- A nationwide, unique identifier for the astronaut occupation has been established by DOL and is available to case managers handling the electronic filing of claims. This will facilitate claims processing and route all astronaut claims to the DOL Cleveland office for review. Of course, NASA offers assistance with any former astronauts’ claim including electronic filing through the Flight Medicine Clinic at JSC.
- For our former military astronauts, depending on the status you may already enjoy the benefits of other federally funded programs offered through the Defense Health Agency (such as TRICARE) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, after pursuing these routes of coverage, if your claim is denied or you incur out of pocket expenses (such as co-payments), your case can undergo an independent review by NASA for coverage under the TREAT Astronauts Act.
NASA chartered a board of aerospace and occupational medicine experts to facilitate the independent review of former astronaut cases. Enabled by the TREAT Astronauts Act, this unique board will support the NASA Administrator’s independent authority to make decisions regarding the association between a former astronaut’s medical condition and his or her career. To expedite services, this Board will review claims in parallel to other review processes such as the DOL’s.
As required under the TREAT Act for full implementation, NASA is presently working with the DOL, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to formally establish rules in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Enhancing the ongoing LSAH monitoring program, NASA is now adding behavioral health assessments to the annual exam for former astronauts. An expert in this field is being hired at JSC to develop and administer appropriate testing for former astronauts.
