The Department of Veterans Affairs issued updated national clinical guidance covering transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-traumatic stress disorder as a primary indication. The previous policy, in place since 2023, covered TMS for PTSD only when comorbid major depressive disorder also met treatment-resistance criteria.
The change follows three multi-site VA-funded trials, the most recent of which enrolled 712 veterans and reported a 47% reduction in PTSD symptom severity at 12 weeks following six weeks of right-sided dorsolateral prefrontal cortex stimulation. Effects were durable at 6 months in roughly two-thirds of responders.
VA officials estimate the policy could expand TMS access to an additional 80,000 veterans annually. The agency is also funding a parallel rollout of TMS-trained clinical staff at 35 medical centers that previously did not offer the treatment.
Veterans service organizations welcomed the change but flagged ongoing concerns about wait times. The current average wait for TMS at VA facilities is 47 days, well above the 30-day target. The VA committed to publishing facility-level wait time data on a quarterly basis beginning in Q3.
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Reporting based on coverage from Department of Veterans Affairs. This article is editorial summary intended for general information; it is not medical advice.