On March 21, 2017, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Transition Authorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-10) was signed into law. Sections 441-443 provide for the implementation of new provisions including the “To Research, Evaluate, Assess, and Treat Astronauts Act,” also referred to as the “TREAT Astronauts Act” or the “TREAT Act.” The TREAT Astronauts Act authorizes NASA to monitor, diagnose, and treat medical and psychological conditions associated with spaceflight.
What Does the TREAT Astronauts Act Mean For Me?
Current Services Available
NASA currently provides medical monitoring services to former NASA astronauts and payload specialists through the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) program at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Medical monitoring is currently offered to former astronauts on an annual basis at the JSC clinic. When you return to JSC for these services, you can expect to receive a comprehensive physical exam and review of systems, including certain screening tests. Please allow for 1-2 days at JSC for this testing. Get a complete list of testing currently conducted for former astronauts during the LSAH exam.
+ Medical Examination Requirements (MER) for Former Astronauts
Expanded Services under the TREAT Astronauts Act
The TREAT Astronauts Act authorizes NASA to i) expand on current medical monitoring services and, ii) begin providing diagnostic and treatment services for conditions that are associated with space flight, which will be provided without any cost-sharing obligation for the astronaut, such as deductible or copayment. NASA’s implementation team is working diligently to identify the enhanced services to be provided to former astronauts under the Treat Astronauts Act and will conduct outreach to the former astronauts once the process has been completed.
What are the benefits of the TREAT Astronauts Act?
The potential benefits of the TREAT Astronauts Act are wide-ranging and include the opportunity to provide a more comprehensive program of monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment services to former astronauts. The expansion of services will facilitate early detection of health conditions that may be associated with exposures incurred during spaceflight or spaceflight training to develop a richer evidence base of occupational health data. NASA currently uses data from the LSAH program to tailor clinical care for individual astronauts, as well as to inform the human systems risks, current spaceflight operations, and future vehicle standards. More comprehensive data informing these ongoing activities will ultimately contribute to an improved understanding of the long-term impacts of spaceflight.
The TREAT Astronauts Act Schedule & Milestones
The initial passage of the TREAT Astronauts Act initiated a multi-step process, including deliverables due back to Congress in early 2018 before full authorization of the legislation is approved. Upcoming activities and tasks in progress include:
- TREAT Astronauts Act presentation at the Astronaut Reunion in December 2017
- LSAH Newsletter with TREAT Astronauts Act information to be released in December 2017
- Independent cost assessment due to NASA in January 2018
- Independent cost assessment due to Congress in March 2018
- Internal NASA work toward development and full implementation throughout 2019
- Worked with DOL to develop an exclusive category and drop-down menu for “astronaut” claims in order to streamline the DOL process.
- Worked with DOL to create a new Special Claims Office in Cleveland that will be specifically educated on astronaut health and work in order to help alleviate any difficulties with astronaut claims.
- The Implementation Team continues to work diligently to ensure that the program will be as effective and comprehensive as possible to meet the needs of former astronauts.
- Publication of the implementing regulations in the Federal Register (Late Spring 2019 expected).
NASA will keep astronauts informed of new developments as they arise.
Contact Us
Email the HHP Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Team
