b'A D V A N C I N G I N N O V A T I O N S I N H E A L T H C A R E P O L I C Y Q:How would you characterize the current situationwhere 21 veterans take their own lives every day?A: A national tragedy, an embarrassment, a stain on the national ethos of service andselflessness. It requires an immediate national effort.Q: What is it about TM that makes you think it could be helpful for veterans?A: There is no downside to TM, no risk: two 20-minute sessions of quiet meditation each dayconnected with a community of support, unlike the isolation and suffocating grip of some pharmaceuticals.Q: What is the purpose of the Phase 3 clinical trial currentlyunder way with veterans with PTSD and suicidal ideation? A: Data drives decisionsor at least we hope it does. The VA is supportive of TM and the efforts and findings of the Center for Resilience to make TM a covered treatment, an alternative to opioid prescription for the treatment of PTSD. The Phase 3 trials are designed to strengthen the initial findings on TM so the Veterans Administration and theDepartment of Defense can take ownership of them, can make them their findings. This is a good thing.Q; Should TM be offered as a reimbursabletreatment in the insurance policy for vets? A: Heck yes! TM works. There are no risks. There is little cost for the necessary training. The effects are lasting and cumulative. Q: Will veterans be open to learning TM?A: Without hesitation! Troopers are problem solvers and they are honest. They are fundamentally open to good ideas to solve problems, quick to embrace them, and call foul when they see it. Today, where offered, vets jump on TM. The population of meditating veterans will expand if TM is more broadly available.43'