In loving memory of

MASTER SGT
CHRISTOPHER ANDREW
“ANDY” BARNES

10/7/1975 – 03/29/2020
Gone but never forgotten!

(Living and Winning)

Allows all veterans, regardless of combat duty, who suffer with depression, PTSD or suicidal thoughts, to seek treatment outside of the VA from a local community care qualified professional with no out of pocket expense to the Veteran.

The veteran will have the option to seek the treatment when the VA providers or the VA’s already approved community care providers cannot see them within 7 days. As soon as the appointment is scheduled for the veteran to see the local community care qualified professional, that professional will then immediately call the VA and send their credentials, license, Tax I.D. and any other information needed to the VA to be immediately verified and approved and then expedited to the VA’s list of community care providers. All this will be completed before the veteran’s scheduled appointment with that local community care qualified professional. The newly approved VA community care provider will be reimbursed appropriately as customary and reasonable benefits  and if that provider recommends more treatment for the veteran than is allowed, then the provider will be allowed to receive a 100% tax write off for the remaining treatment.

I met with a mental health Nurse Practitioner at a psychiatric group in Franklin, TN. I explained to her Andy’s LAW and how it works. She said not only are they very well equipped to treat the veterans with 4 mental health NP on staff, 4 licensed therapists and 1 Psychiatrist, but they would be happy to accept and treat all veterans under Andy’s LAW. She also said she believes its needed because her boyfriend has been in the Army for 14 years and said he often talks about the problem and how we need a solution for our veterans. That’s just one facility with 9 qualified professionals who could be immediately expedited to the VA’s list of approved community care providers and immediately treat many veterans!!!

I spoke with a Veteran Crisis Line Professional in Atlanta and knowing she said the VA has the funds they just need to be reallocated, I decided to do some research on the VA’s budget. In 2020 the fiscal budget was $217 billion allotted for VA operations. 3/5 on medical benefits, $92 billion is discretionary. $80.2 billion for veteran health administration. And $94 billion for mental health care. Now, I’m no mathematician by any means, but I put some numbers together to show just how Andy’s LAW can save lives AND money!

These numbers are based on a provider being paid per treatment an estimated customary and reasonable fee of $80/treatment and the estimated number of 22 veterans a day committing suicide…

Let’s say that instead of 22 vets a day taking their life, that 5 of those 22 choose to seek treatment thru Andy’s LAW instead of suicide.

5 veterans a day for one month= 155 veterans

155 veterans for 12 months = 1860 veterans

1860 veterans seeking treatment 4x/month for 12 months @$80/treatment…

So, for the cost of $7,142,400 we have just save 1860 veteran’s lives in one year through Andy’s LAW!

I realize that some may get less therapy and maybe meds instead and some may have meds and therapy but this is a simple and realistic estimation based on the data and benefits allowed, of just how many veteran’s lives we can save! Andy’s LAW will expedite the process of local community care qualified professionals to become VA approved community care providers and allow their treatment to become available quicker so they can choose to continue Living and Winning over suicide! Each day that passes with this, so do 22 of our veterans!

Thank you for taking the time and action to help save the lives of our veterans!

This bill was written by Andy’s sister, Leigh Kentof, and has not yet been written into law and passed. To show your support , please comment under “share your story” page.

from Leigh Kentof — Andy’s Sister

 Hi, I’m Leigh Kentof and my brother, Master Sgt Christopher Andrew “Andy” Barnes, was a hero, patriot, father, son, sibling , husband, friend and a 20 year Army veteran who served our country honorably and proudly. Sadly, on 3/29/2020 he took his own life. Andy had reached out to my sister, who’s a medical surgical nurse, in August 2019 saying he was having problems sleeping. She said she could get him in to see her nurse practitioner friend to help him. Andy said that she wasn’t  on the VA list of community care providers so he couldn’t see her but he would go through the process at the VA, which had a wait time of 4 months to see a VA provider. 4 months later Andy was dead.

I want everyone to know that through this awful tragedy and my research and due diligence, I have spoken to many amazing people who work vehemently at the VA to help our veterans. They offer many choices of resources and truly care for the veteran’s well being. The issue isn’t the resources but rather the number of VA providers and qualified professionals needed to help our veterans. So through Andy’s LAW, local community care qualified professionals can quickly become expedited as VA providers so no veteran has to wait more than 7 days to seek help. I’m pushing and determined to have this bill written into law and passed and appreciate everyone’s support by simply commenting or sharing your story.

Sincerely,
Leigh Kentof