Army veteran Travis Horn says he spent years locked in a fog of depression and PTSD after his service. In Tampa, he says a series of ketamine infusions finally helped him feel present with his family again, and he describes his fifth treatment as “a near religious experience.” Now the state-funded study that made those infusions free is in danger of running out of money, and organizers are scrambling to keep it alive.
Horn is enrolled in a Florida-funded study run by the Mac Parkman Foundation that covers the cost of ketamine treatments for veterans at clinics around Tampa, according to Tampa Bay 28. The outlet reports the study has funding secured for only one more year, and participants like Horn are watching closely to see whether lawmakers decide to extend support.
State budget paperwork shows how shaky that backing can be. A Florida Senate conference spreadsheet lists a University of Florida project titled “Longitudinal Efficacy of Ketamine,” with the House putting money on the table and the Senate offering zero, a signal of how earmarks were trimmed during negotiations. The relevant line items appear in Florida Senate conference materials.
Michael Hartford, a Navy veteran and program adviser with the Mac Parkman Foundation, told Tampa Bay 28 that organizers were notified they were not approved for the next fiscal year and have already submitted a request for bridge funding. Hartford said “the ketamine therapy, although it is not evidence based at this point in time, it is evidence informed,” and he stressed that veteran suicide rates remain stubbornly high nationwide.
Federal Push Raises The Stakes
The debate around Horn’s treatments is unfolding as ketamine and other emerging therapies draw fresh attention in Washington. President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order in April 2026 directing federal agencies to accelerate research and patient access to investigational psychedelic and related treatments, a move advocates say could expand options for veterans. The White House order and follow up steps by HHS, including ARPA H support, are intended to speed clinical research and pair federal dollars with state level programs.
What The Science Shows
Researchers are studying ketamine as a possible treatment for depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. Early findings are encouraging, but experts caution that the evidence base is still taking shape and that long term outcomes need closer study. The VA notes that more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, and recent analyses warn that the rapid spread of commercial ketamine clinics has outpaced standardized clinical guidance, a reality that both supporters and skeptics point to when weighing whether to expand state backed programs. The VA PREVENTS Roadmap and a recent peer reviewed analysis of clinic marketing practices offer additional context on potential benefits and risks. A study highlighted on PubMed Central raises concerns about off label use and argues for cautious expansion under rigorous research protocols.
Local Stakes And Next Steps
The Mac Parkman Foundation previously secured state support to launch a Florida veterans brain health initiative that included ketamine assisted treatment, and in September 2025 announced a 735,000 dollar award from the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs to expand services. EIN Presswire and the agency’s April 2026 newsletter note that earlier legislation and pilot funding, listed as HR-2571, helped get the program off the ground. Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs materials and organizers’ comments to Tampa Bay 28 indicate they have asked for bridge funding while legislators finalize the budget.
For now, organizers say they plan to keep recruiting veterans into the study while chasing both state and philanthropic support. Veterans who need immediate help can contact the Veterans Crisis Line online or call 988 and press 1. Program details and enrollment information remain available through the Mac Parkman Foundation.
