Brain Injury Legislative Alert 2008
Archive
Reprinted from The Brain Injury Association of America, the
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, and the TBI Technical Assistance
Center at NASHIA
As this year comes to a close, the Brain Injury
Association of America (BIAA) would like to thank
you for your support during 2008 - a year which
included many accomplishments in advocacy on
behalf of individuals with brain injuries and
their families. Chief among these accomplishments,
of course, was successful reauthorization of The
Traumatic Brain Injury Act!
Yet, as we reflect during this holiday season on
the advocacy achievements we are thankful for this
year, we also know that much more needs to be done
to improve brain injury care and services in this
country.
BIAA is uniquely positioned to carry this
important message into 2009, and to the incoming
Obama Administration, as well to continue its
leading advocacy role on Capitol Hill, urging the
nation's lawmakers to adequately address the
public health epidemic of brain injury.
Last week, BIAA was invited to meet with members
of the Obama Administration transition team to
discuss disability and health care policy issues,
as well as to share BIAA's leading public policy
priorities. On Tuesday, December 16, BIAA's
President and CEO, Susan Connors, and BIAA's
National Medical Director, Dr. Gregory O'Shanick,
represented the organization at this meeting.
They communicated to the members of the Obama team
that BIAA's chief public policy concern centers on
improving access to health care for survivors of
brain injury. Specifically, Ms. Connors and Dr.
O'Shanick described how every day, hundreds -
perhaps thousands - of brain injury survivors are deprived
of the acute care, rehabilitation, and related
services they need to regain maximum function and
quality of life after their injury. They further
explained that this is largely due to the
widespread use of unfair and unjust tactics by
health insurers, such as inconsistent
pre-admission policies, arbitrary limits on scope
and duration of care, outright coverage denials,
absurd payment rates, and capricious
post-treatment audits. The hope was expressed to
the Obama team that any effort to reform the
nation's health care system must address these
delays and denials of access to care, as our
nation is needlessly increasing permanent
disability among people who sustain brain
injuries.
Ms. Connors and Dr. O'Shanick also discussed with
the Obama team the importance of maintaining and
increasing the health and function research
portfolio, including the TBI Model Systems of Care
program, within the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), as
well as the need for TRICARE to officially cover
cognitive rehabilitation for returning service members.
As 2009 approaches, BIAA encourages you to visit President-Elect
Obama's webpage
on
health care reform, and submit your own comments
about how to improve the nation's health care
system to better address the needs of brain injury
survivors.
Happy Holidays!
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Newsletter
110th
Congress
December 22, 2008
The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
Newsletter aims to educate and promote the
awareness of brain injury, one of the driving
missions of the Task Force. Below you will find
recent legislative activity, studies and reports,
media coverage, and upcoming events related to
traumatic brain injury (TBI). We believe
that knowledge and information can inspire the
change needed to improve the lives of individuals
suffering from TBI.
Approximately 1.4 million Americans experience
traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, and an
estimated 3.2 million Americans are living with
long-term, severe disabilities as a result of
brain injury. TBI is the leading cause of
death and disability among young Americans in the
United States and has been named the signature
wound of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We hope that you and your staff find this
newsletter informative. Please contact Mandy
Spears (mandy.spears@mail.house.gov;
5-5751) in Rep. Pascrell’s office or Becky
Wolfkiel (rebeccah.wolfkiel@mail.house.gov;
5-5836) in Rep. Platts’ office if you have
questions about any of the information included in
the newsletter, would like more information about
the Task Force, or would like to join.
Sincerely,
Bill Pascrell, Jr., Co-Chair
Todd Russell Platts, Co-Chair
Note: Membership to the Congressional
Brain Injury Task Force is open only to Members of
Congress.
On November 19, 2008, Task Force Co-Chairs Bill
Pascrell, Jr. and Todd Russell Platts introduced
the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT)
Act, which provides States with the tools needed
to adopt and disseminate concussion management
guidelines for school-sponsored sports and to fund
schools’ implementation of computerized
pre-season baseline and post-injury
neuropsychological testing for student athletes.
Department of Veterans Affairs - On August
1, 2008, the House of Representatives approved its
version of the FY 2009 Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs spending bill, which contained report
language
encouraging continued partnership between the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the
Department of Defense (DoD) in treating soldiers
with TBIs; revision of ICD-9 codes for traumatic
brain injuries; the development of universal
practice guidelines for TBIs, post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), and blast injuries; access
to TBI and PTSD services through joint clinics;
and projects to promote seamless transitions for
individuals transitioning from DoD to the VA.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its
version of the FY 2009 Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs spending bill, containing
increased funding for medical research, including
TBI research. The bill allocates $526.8 million
for medical research targeted to the veteran
population, including research into mental health,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic
brain injury, polytraumatic physical activities
and sensory abilities, such as hearing and vision
loss. The bill also contains report
language
directing the VA to establish and expand
cooperative agreements with public and private
groups to treat traumatic brain injury patients
from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to
report on expanding the pool for expertise
available to treat the injuries.
Department of Health and Human Services -
On March 19, 2008, members of the Congressional
Brain Injury Task Force called on the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education to provide $30
million for programs authorized under the
Traumatic Brain Injury Act, including $9 million
for CDC TBI Registries, Surveillance, and
Education; $15 million for HRSA TBI State Grants;
and $6 million for HRSA TBI Protection and
Advocacy Grants. Status: The
programs were level-funded at the FY 2008 through
March 2009 as part of the 2009
Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act,
which was signed into law on September 30, 2008.
Advocates have called on Congress to provide the
highest possible funding amounts contained in the
House and Senate Subcommittee-passed bills for TBI
programs are included in the final FY 2009 Labor-HHS-Education
appropriations bill or funding package.
Specifically, these highest funding levels are as
follows:
$11
million for the HRSA Federal TBI Program
$6.565
million for CDC TBI Programs
$107.741
million for NIDRR Programs, including TBI
Model Systems of Care
This resolution expresses the need for enhanced
public awareness of TBI and support for the
designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness
Month. It currently has 59 co-sponsors and
will be reintroduced in the next Congress.
---------------------
RECENT STUDIES AND
REPORTS
“Veterans will
need support systems at home and in their
communities to assist them in coping with the
long-term sequelae of their injuries.”–The Institute of Medicine,
“Long-Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain
Injury”
Findings: An estimated 1.1% of the
U.S. civilian population—or 3.17 million
people—were living with a long-term disability
from TBI at the beginning of 2005.
Findings: Many of the thousands of
troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries in
Iraq and Afghanistan are at risk of long-term
health problems including depression,
Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, seizures, and
problems with social functioning. The report
recommends that all soldiers exposed to a blast be
screened for TBI and that the VA fund rigorous
studies and a registry of TBI patients.
Findings: Increasingly, state
legislatures and governors are providing state
leadership in providing outreach, information, and
resources to returning troops, veterans, and their
families with regard to TBI, PTSD, and related
issues.
---------------------
RECENT MEDIA
COVERAGE
“Recent
studies at the University of Pittsburgh and the
McGill University Neurological Institute have
linked cumulative concussions to the deterioration
of brain function and to mental diseases. -Christina
Pappas, “Concussion Studies Butt Heads with
Assumptions”
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - December 14, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
The Senate failed to reach a deal on auto
industry bailout legislation this week, and on
Thursday concluded what will most likely be the
last week of the 110th session of Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced
that there would likely be no more Senate work
this year, and called upon President Bush to
provide bailout funding using the authority
granted to him under the $700 billion financial
industry bailout bill which passed earlier this
fall.
The 111th Congress is scheduled to come into
session on January 6, 2009. This week’s Policy
Corner provides a brief preview of what to expect
when a new Congress and Administration convenes in
Washington next month.
In addition, you are encouraged to check the “Policy
& Legislation” section of BIAA’s website CLICK
HERE
over the next few weeks, as we conclude our
updates to this site to include the latest
information and documents related to BIAA’s
federal legislative advocacy efforts.
BIAA sincerely thanks you for your advocacy
efforts in 2008, and looks forward to continuing
to work with you in 2009 to push for better brain
injury public policy in the United States.
Happy Holidays to All!
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative Action
Alerts are made possible by the Centre for Neuro
Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates, and
Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain Injury
Association of America gratefully acknowledges
their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please go CLICK
HERE
Appropriators in both chambers have reportedly
been working on conference negotiations over the
last few weeks for the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09)
funding bills.
In response to hearing that Appropriations
Committees were indeed conferencing the FY09
Labor-HHS-Educations funding bill, BIAA joined
other stakeholder organizations in circulating a
sign-on letter calling for increased funding for
TBI programs in FY09. Earlier this week, this
letter was delivered to the leaders of both the
House and Senate Labor-HHS-Educations
Subcommittees on Appropriations.
The timeline for final action is unclear at this
point, but “public statements imply that the
Democratic leadership wants all FY 2009
appropriations bills finished and on President
Obama’s desk shortly after his inauguration on
Jan. 20th so that he does not have to deal with
unfinished business from the 110th Congress” (The
Coalition for American Trauma Care Washington
Report, 12/05/08).
The brain injury stakeholder letter urges
appropriators to adopt the highest possible
funding levels for TBI programs contained in the
respective House or Senate versions of the bill.
Specifically, the letter states, “As
negotiations on the spending bills for Fiscal Year
2009 continue, we urge you to adopt the funding
levels for the Department of Health and Human
Services traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs as
recommended by the House Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate
Appropriations Committee language and funding
levels for the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).”
As BIAA anticipates early action in January on an
FY2009 omnibus appropriations package, please, if
you have not already done so, visit our website to
take action CLICK
HERE
111th Congress Expected to Pass Economic
Stimulus Legislation Quickly
This week, Democrats continued to lay groundwork
for an economic stimulus bill to be considered
soon after the new Congress convenes.
The House Appropriations Committee held a hearing
on the anticipated economic recovery bill, which
Democratic leaders intend to introduce in January.
The hearing featured a number of governors, who
made the case for increased aid to states to be
included in such a stimulus bill.
Specifically, in recent weeks, governors have
asked for increased federal funding for Medicaid,
infrastructure projects, unemployment insurance
and food stamps.
In regards to increased Medicaid funding, BIAA
supports a Coalition for Citizens with
Disabilities letter sent this week to
Congressional leaders. The letter urges the
inclusion of a significant increase in the
Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP)
in the anticipated economic stimulus legislation.
The letter urges that at a minimum, an economic
stimulus package include $40 billion in additional
Medicaid funding over two years, and that part of
this funding be targeted towards expanding
Medicaid home and community based services.
Health Care Reform Efforts Already Underway
The outcomes of the recent November election have
dramatically changed the political landscape in
Washington, D.C., and a number of factors have
come together to create the best opportunity for
reforming the nation’s health care system in
well over a decade. In short, it is a realistic
possibility that major health care reform of some
kind could be enacted in 2009. Certainly, there
will be no shortage of serious efforts by the
nation’s policymakers to overhaul the health
care system as we know it today, and several
proposals are already circulating.
The 111th Congress scheduled to come into session
on January 6, 2009 will feature strong Democratic
majorities in both the House of Representatives
and the Senate, with leaders of key committees in
both chambers anxious to introduce legislation to
overhaul the nation’s health care system. At the
same time, the incoming Obama Administration has
signaled that health care reform will be
considered a crucial aspect of its larger focus on
promoting economic recovery as the nation’s
financial crisis continues to worsen.
BIAA will work diligently in 2009 to make brain
injury an essential part of the conversation on
reforming the nation’s health care system.
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - December 5, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
Although Congress was not formally in session
this week, several major committee hearings took
place considering a potential financial bailout of
the nation’s automobile industry.
The 110th Congress is expected to be in session
for the last time next week, and along with the
potential bailout of the automobile industry, it
appears that appropriators in both chambers are
working on conference negotiations for the Fiscal
Year 2009 (FY09) funding bills.
This week, amidst informal word that
Appropriations Committees were indeed conferencing
the FY09 Labor-HHS-Educations funding bill, BIAA
joined other stakeholder organizations in
circulating a sign-on letter calling for increased
funding for TBI programs in FY09.
BIAA also issued a Legislative Action Alert to its
grassroots, urging the highest possible funding
amount for TBI programs to be enacted. If you have
not already done so, please visit our website to
take action at http://capwiz.com/bia/home/
Over the past few weeks, numerous developments
related to brain injury policy have occurred and
are described below, including the release of new
CDC prevalence estimates for TBI in the United
States, as well as a new report issued by the
Institute of Medicine on the long-term effects of
TBI.
Please note that BIAA is currently in the process
of updating the “Policy & Legislation”
section of its website, and as a result many
documents referred to below are not yet posted
online. Rest assured these documents will become
available shortly. We sincerely appreciate your
patience while we work to improve the
comprehensiveness and accessibility of our
website.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please go to http://capwiz.com/bia/mlm/signup/
110th Congress Enters Its Last Week of Session;
FY09 Appropriations Action Looms
The 110th Congress is expected to be in
session for the last time next week, and along
with the potential bailout of the automobile
industry, it appears that appropriators in both
chambers are working on conference negotiations
for the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) funding bills.
This week, amidst informal word that
Appropriations Committees were indeed conferencing
the FY09 Labor-HHS-Educations funding bill, BIAA
joined other stakeholder organizations in
circulating a sign-on letter calling for increased
funding for TBI programs in FY09. The timeline for
final action is unclear at this point, but “public
statements imply that the Democratic leadership
wants all FY 2009 appropriations bills finished
and on President Obama’s desk shortly after his
inauguration on Jan. 20th so that he does not have
to deal with unfinished business from the 110th
Congress” (The Coalition for American Trauma
Care Washington Report, 12/05/08).
The brain injury stakeholder letter urges
appropriators to adopt the highest possible
funding levels for TBI programs contained in the
respective House or Senate versions of the bill.
Specifically, the letter states, “As
negotiations on the spending bills for Fiscal Year
2009 continue, we urge you to adopt the funding
levels for the Department of Health and Human
Services traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs as
recommended by the House Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate
Appropriations Committee language and funding
levels for the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).”
BIAA also issued a Legislative Action Alert to its
grassroots this week, urging the highest possible
funding amount for TBI programs to be enacted. If
you have not already done so, please visit our
website to take action at http://capwiz.com/bia/home/
BIAA Welcomes New Members of Congress
In recent weeks, BIAA and its state affiliates
have sent letters to newly elected Members of
Congress welcoming them to Washington.
In the letters, BIAA congratulates these newly
elected United States Representatives and Senators
on their victories, and provides them with a brief
overview of the massive national public health
issue which brain injury represents. The letters
also contain information on the leading role BIAA
continues to play in advocating for improvements
in public policy related to brain injury, and urge
the new Members of Congress to join the
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.
These letters will be made available on the “Policy
& Legislation” section of BIAA’s website -
http://www.biausa.org/policy.htm
- shortly.
CDC Issues New Prevalence Estimates for TBI
Last week, the Centers for the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention released new
prevalence estimates for traumatic brain injury
(TBI) in the United States.
Reflecting the use of more conservative
methodology, the CDC determined that although the
annual incidence estimate has not changed (1.4
million individuals), the annual prevalence
estimate for long-term TBI-related disability has
decreased (from 5.3 million individuals to 3.2
million individuals).
BIAA issued a public statement in response to
these new estimates and circulated this statement
to members of the Congressional Brain Injury Task
Force. BIAA made a special effort to note to
Congressional offices and staffers that changes in
the estimated prevalence of TBI are NOT indicative
of any change in the annual incidence of TBI in
the United States.
In its public statement, BIAA asserted, “The
Brain Injury Association of America reminds
advocates, clinicians, researchers, policymakers
and the public that the 3.17 million people living
in the U.S. with a long-term disability are unique
individuals whose lives are forever changed by
their injuries and who need and deserve ongoing
specialized rehabilitation, lifelong neurological
disease management and individualized services and
supports in order to maximize their health,
independence and happiness.”
The full public statement will be made available
on the “Policy & Legislation” section of
BIAA’s website - http://www.biausa.org/policy.htm
- shortly.
IOM Issues New Report on Long-Term Effects of TBI
On Thursday, December 4, BIAA was represented
at a briefing at the National Academy of Sciences,
where the Institute of Medicine issued a new
report titled, “The Long-Term Consequences of
Traumatic Brain Injury.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) asked
the IOM to determine long-term health outcomes
associated with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
The IOM committee reviewed more than 30,000 titles
and abstracts of scientific and medical articles
related to TBI and health outcomes, as well as the
full text of more than 1,900 peer-reviewed
articles.
The Committee detailed numerous health effects
that are associated with penetrating TBI and mild,
moderate, and severe closed TBI.
Congress Is Working on TBI Funding Right Now!Take
Action!
Urge Your Representatives in Congress to
Increase Federal Funding for TBI Programs
Right now both the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees are reportedly working on the Fiscal
2009 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and
Education Appropriations bill in anticipation of
action on the bill as soon as the new legislative
session begins in January. This bill provides
federal funding for multiple TBI programs, as well
as important trauma care programs.
Federal funding for TBI Act programs, as well as
NIDRR's TBI-related research programs, has
deteriorated or remained stagnant over the last
several years. The urgent need for increased
federal support for a national TBI public health
infrastructure and TBI research is further
heightened by the recognition of TBI as the
signature wound of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The need for substantially increased federal
funding for TBI programs must be clearly
communicated to Members of Congress in the coming
days and weeks if these programs are to be
adequately funded this year.
BIAA urges advocates to contact their
representatives in Congress by phone before
December 15, if possible. When you call your
the Member of Congress's office, please ask to
speak with the Health Legislative Assistant.
Please click on the "Take Action" link
in the upper right-hand corner of this email for
information on how to call your representatives in
Congress on this issue.
BIAA's Policy Corner and Legislative Action Alerts
are made possible by the Centre for Neuro Skills,
James F. Humphreys & Associates, and Lakeview
Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain Injury
Association of America gratefully acknowledges
their support for legislative action.
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - November 21, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
Congress returned this week for a lame duck
session after being in recess since October 3,
2008. This lame duck session follows a historic
November 4 election, which will result in
significant changes in the makeup of both the
House and Senate – not to mention the White
House - in January.
So far, the lame duck session has produced
successful legislation extending unemployment
benefits, but it now looks as though Democratic
leaders will wait until the beginning of a new
legislative session in January to move a broader
economic stimulus package. BIAA will continue to
advocate for inclusion of increased federal
funding for state Medicaid programs in any such
stimulus package.
Meanwhile, Congress continues to debate a possible
bailout plan for the auto industry, and this
debate could continue into December, thus
extending the lame duck session.
Over the past few weeks, numerous developments
related to brain injury policy have occurred and
are described below.
Please note that BIAA is currently in the process
of updating the “Policy & Legislation”
section of its website, and as a result many
documents referred to below are not yet posted
online. Rest assured these documents will become
available shortly. We sincerely appreciate your
patience while we work to improve the
comprehensiveness and accessibility of our
website.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please CLICK
HERE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008 Election Outcomes and Legislative Impact
Powers Pyles Sutter &Verville, PC has
produced a memorandum which reviews the 2008
Presidential and Congressional elections and
provides analysis of the future direction of White
House policy and the ramifications for the
near-term political makeup of the House and Senate
and relevant congressional committees.
This memorandum, distributed to members of the
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition,
notes that, “Taken as a whole, the Obama win of
the presidential race and the Democratic gains in
the House and Senate coupled with the change-over
in congressional power from the last election in
2006 has the Democratic party in majority control
of the federal government. However, with the
recent financial instability, looming recession,
ongoing overseas conflicts and other tests facing
the nation, the challenges for the President-elect
and his team are daunting.”
The memo also states that, “proponents for
health care system reform will certainly be
energized by the outcome of this election, with an
incoming Democratic administration and a larger
majority of Democrats in both houses of Congress.
But it will remain a daunting challenge for
Congress to cover millions of the uninsured while
the country is in an economic crisis while facing
ever rising health care costs.”
The full memo will be made available on the “Policy
& Legislation” section of BIAA’s website CLICK
HERE
- shortly.
Defense Secretary Gates Responds to Senators’
Letter on Cognitive Rehabilitation
United States Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates has responded to the letter a group of
Senators issued on August 4, 2008 calling on him
to ensure official TRICARE coverage of cognitive
rehabilitation. As you may recall, BIAA played a
crucial role in helping initiate and promote this
letter, which was led by Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN).
In his response, Secretary Gates continues to
defend TRICARE’s lack of coverage of cognitive
rehabilitation, maintaining that there is
insufficient evidence from properly structured
research protocols to establish the general
acceptance of cognitive rehabilitation as a proven
medical treatment.
Specifically, Secretary Gates states, “The
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
reports that while the existing evidence is
supportive of cognitive rehabilitation, the rigor
of the research by which that evidence was
produced has not yet met the required standard.”
At the same time, Secretary Gates’ letter does
acknowledge that “many organizations and reviews
have supported cognitive rehabilitation.”
BIAA strongly disagrees with the argument put
forth by Secretary Gates that there is
insufficient evidence to justify official TRICARE
coverage of cognitive rehabilitation. BIAA, along
with numerous congressional advocates, will
continue to press this issue in the new 111th
Congress next year.
VA Signs Interagency Agreement With NIDRR-Funded
TBI Model Systems
In an exciting development, the U.S.
Department of Education’s National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
recently signed an Interagency Agreement (IAA)
with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for
the NIDRR-funded Traumatic Brain Injury Model
Systems National Data and Statistical Center (NDSC)
located at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado
to provide consultation, training, and technical
assistance to the VA and the VA Polytrauma
Rehabilitation Centers. The Agreement calls for
Craig and NIDRR to assist the VA to create a new
registry of military service personnel and
veterans who are returning from Iraq or
Afghanistan with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
BIAA has long been a strong advocate for
collaboration between VA and NIDRR’s TBI Model
Systems of Care Program, and last year BIAA played
a critical role in ensuring the inclusion of
legislative language mandating such collaboration
in the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 4986). BIAA also played a
vital role in obtaining $900,000 in additional
funding last year to maintain research capacity
within the TBI Model Systems of Care program.
Congressman Pascrell Introduces Bill to Improve
Concussion Management in Schools
In response to the tragic death of Montclair
High School’s Ryne Dougherty, U.S. Rep. Bill
Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), the co-founder and
co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task
Force yesterday introduced legislation in the
House of Representatives to help schools better
protect student athletes from brain injuries.
The legislation, called the Concussion Treatment
and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act, will authorize
federal grants to states to be used to help
schools invest in concussion screening technology
and adopt better concussion management guidelines.
“Providing basic preventative technology and
guidelines to mitigate the effects of head
injuries can reduce the number of tragic deaths
and countless injuries that occur in youth
athletics,” stated Pascrell. “I will push hard
with the weight of the entire Congressional Brain
Injury Task Force to implement the ConTACT Act.”
Specifically, the ConTACT Act will create a state
grant program through the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) that will fund
computerized pre-season baseline and
post-concussion neurological testing for school
sponsored sports. Schools that enroll students
from grades 6 through 12 will be eligible for the
funding.
The grant program would be authorized for 5 years
and is estimated to cost $5 million in the first
year. It would require a report to Congress within
2 years of enactment regarding the use and results
of screening technology.
Pascrell has long been a strong advocate for
expanding concussion management technology to
youth athletics. In August of 2006, Pascrell
visited a Nutley High School football practice to
announce a new round of grants for New Jersey high
schools to implement concussion management
technology.
The legislation was developed by Rep. Pascrell,
Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) and the Brain Injury Task
Force with consultation from the Brain Injury
Association of America, the New Jersey Brain
Injury Association, the National Association of
State Head Injury Administrators, the Athletic
Trainers Society of New Jersey, the International
Brain Research Foundation and the New Jersey
Office of Disability Services.
A copy of the legislation will be made available
on the “Policy & Legislation” section of
BIAA’s website - CLICK
HERE
- shortly.
BIAA Testifies at Social Security Administration
Compassionate Allowances Hearing
On November 18, 2008, BIAA Director of
Consumer Services, Greg Ayotte, testified in
Arlington, Virginia at a Social Security
Administration (SSA) Compassionate Allowance
outreach hearing on brain injuries.
The purpose of this hearing was to consider views
about the advisability and possible methods of
identifying and implementing compassionate
allowances for children and adults with brain
injuries. SSA’s Compassionate Allowance
Initiative represents an effort by SSA to consider
ways to quickly identify diseases and other
serious medical conditions that obviously meet the
definition of disability under the Social Security
Act (Act) and which can be identified with minimal
objective medical information. SSA calls this
method “Compassionate Allowances.''
Among other things, BIAA’s testimony focused on
illustrating some of the obstacles individuals
with brain injuries encounter when trying to
access Social Security disability benefits.
A copy of BIAA’s testimony will be made
available on the “Policy & Legislation”
section of BIAA’s website - CLICK
HERE
- shortly.
BIAA Urges Repeal of Medicare’s Two-Year Wait
Period
On November 12, 2008, BIAA joined the
Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare -
which represents over 75 health advocacy
organizations - in launching its campaign to urge
the next Congress to end the 24-month wait for
Medicare coverage faced by people with
disabilities.
At a press conference held on Capitol Hill, people
currently caught up in the waiting period
described their experiences and Representative
Gene Green (D-TX) described legislative efforts to
eliminate the waiting period.
In addition, at the press conference Coalition
leaders released a letter signed by Coalition
members – including BIAA – addressed to
Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate
Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means
Committee. The letter calls for health coverage
for people with disabilities to be at the
forefront of future legislative efforts to cover
the uninsured.
The issue this Coalition is working to address is
that people who become severely and permanently
disabled qualify for Social Security Disability
Insurance and Medicare coverage. However,
according to federal statute, they must wait two
years from their date of eligibility for SSDI
before their Medicare coverage begins. About one
quarter of people in this waiting period are
without insurance for the entire time. Many cannot
afford to pay COBRA premiums to maintain coverage
from their former employer, and private coverage
on the individual market is unavailable or too
expensive for this high-cost population, including
many individuals with brain injuries.
In a formal statement circulated at the press
conference, BIAA noted that, “In causing delay
of proper treatment, this unnecessary waiting
period promotes increased lifelong disability for
individuals with brain injury and significantly
decreases cost efficiency in medical and
rehabilitative treatment.”
A copy of BIAA’s statement in its entirety, and
the Coalition's letter, will be made available on
the “Policy & Legislation” section of BIAA’s
website - CLICK
HERE
- shortly.
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Newsletter - October
16, 2008
Congressional
Brain Injury Task Force
NEWSLETTER
110th
Congress
October
16, 2008
The
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Newsletter
aims to educate and promote the awareness of brain
injury, one of the driving missions of the Task
Force. Below you will find recent legislative
activity, studies and reports, media coverage, and
upcoming events related to traumatic brain injury
(TBI). We believe that knowledge and information
can inspire the change needed to improve the lives
of individuals suffering from TBI.
Approximately 1.4 million Americans experience
traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, and an
estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with
long-term, severe disabilities as a result of
brain injury. TBI is the leading cause of death
and disability among young Americans in the United
States and has been named the signature wound of
the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We hope that you and your staff find this
newsletter informative. Please contact Mandy
Spears mandy.spears@mail.house.gov;
5-5751) in Rep. Pascrell’s office or Becky
Wolfkiel rebecca.wolfkiel@mail.house.gov;
5-5836) in Rep. Platts’ office if you have
questions about any of the information included in
the newsletter, would like more information about
the Task Force, or would like to join.
Sincerely,
Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Co-Chair
Todd Russell Platts
Co-Chair
---------------------
RECENT LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY
FY 2009 Appropriations
Department of Defense - On March 19, 2008,
members of the Congressional Brain Injury Task
Force called on the House Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee to provide $28 million to support the
work of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury
Center (DVBIC) within the Defense Center of
Excellence in Psychological Health and Traumatic
Brain Injury. Status: Defense
Appropriations were passed as part of the 2009
Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act,
which was signed into law on September 30, 2008.
The bill provided $300 million for TBI and
psychological health research and treatment.
Department of Veterans Affairs - On August
1, 2008, the House of Representatives approved its
version of the FY 2009 Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs spending bill, which contained report
language
encouraging continued partnership between the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the
Department of Defense (DoD) in treating soldiers
with TBIs; revision of ICD-9 codes for traumatic
brain injuries; the development of universal
practice guidelines for TBIs, post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), and blast injuries; access
to TBI and PTSD services through joint clinics;
and projects to promote seamless transitions for
individuals transitioning from DoD to the VA.
Additionally, in a colloquy between House VA
Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Chet Edwards and
Task Force Co-Chair Bill Pascrell, Jr., Chairman
Edwards agreed to work in Conference with the
Senate to include language to recognize the
relationship between and co-occurrence of TBI and
PTSD among our armed serviced. Chairman Edwards
also agreed to work with House Veterans’ Affairs
Committee Chairman Bob Filner to work on
suggestions related to the establishment of a
community grant program to provide rehabilitative
services to veterans diagnosed with TBI or PTSD
and a “heroes’ homecoming pilot program” to
evaluate the effectiveness of offering compulsory
screening, evaluation, and treatment for mental
health conditions such as TBI and PTSD.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its
version of the FY 2009 Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs spending bill, containing
increased funding for medical research, including
TBI research.
The bill allocates $526.8 million for medical
research targeted to the veteran population,
including research into mental health,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic
brain injury, polytraumatic physical activities
and sensory abilities, such as hearing and vision
loss. The bill also contains report
language
directing the VA to establish and expand
cooperative agreements with public and private
groups to treat traumatic brain injury patients
from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to
report on expanding the pool for expertise
available to treat the injuries.
Department of Health and Human Services -
On March 19, 2008, members of the Congressional
Brain Injury Task Force called on the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education to provide $30
million for programs authorized under the
Traumatic Brain Injury Act, including $9 million
for CDC TBI Registries, Surveillance, and
Education; $15 million for HRSA TBI State Grants;
and $6 million for HRSA TBI Protection and
Advocacy Grants. Status: On June 26, 2008,
The Senate Appropriations Committee mark-up
approved its version of the FY
2009 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill,
which level funds these programs at $14.5
million-including $8.8 million for HRSA TBI Grants
and $5.7 million for CDC TBI programs. While the
full House Appropriations Committee has not yet
approved the Labor-HHS-Education bill, the
Subcommittee’s mark-up includes a $17.6 million
for TBI Act programs-including $11 for the HRSA
TBI Grants and $6.6 million for CDC TBI programs.
The programs were level-funded at the FY 2008
through March 2009 as part of the 2009
Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act,
which was signed into law on September 30, 2008.
This resolution expresses the need for enhanced
public awareness of TBI and support for the
designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness
Month. It currently has 59 co-sponsors
TRICARE Coverage of Cognitive Rehabilitation
On September 19, 2008, Task Force Co-Chairs Bill
Pascrell, Jr. and Todd Russell Platts were joined
by 65 of their colleagues in sending a letter
to Defense Secretary Gates
calling for the coverage of cognitive
rehabilitation therapy for brain injury patients
under TRICARE, the military’s health care plan.
Currently, cognitive rehabilitation therapy is
excluded for coverage by TRICARE for brain injury
patients. The letter argued that access to
cognitive rehabilitation is a basic element of the
continuum of care for brain injury patients and
should be covered by TRICARE. Co-signers are
currently awaiting a response from Dr. David Chu,
the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness. A group of ten Senators sent a similar
letter to Secretary Gates
in August.
---------------------
RECENT
STUDIES AND REPORTS
No
empirically validated therapies exist to treat
co-morbid PTSD, depression, and post-concussive
disorders.
-VA
Journal of Rehabilitation Research and
Development, “Overlap of Mild TBI & Mental
Health Conditions in Returning OIF/OEF Service
Members and Veterans”
Findings: As of late 2007, 23 states
operated Medicaid waivers targeted to individuals
with brain injuries. Waivers for individuals with
brain injuries have grown significantly in recent
years, doubling from 5,400 individuals at a cost
of $155 million in 2002 to 11,214 at a cost of
$327 million in 2006.
Findings: Among student athletes,
activity level after concussion, which is
considered a mild traumatic brain injury, affects
symptoms and neurocognitive recovery. Athletes
that engage in high levels of activity after a
concussion demonstrated worse performance on brain
tests; while concussed athletes engaging in
moderate levels of activity demonstrated the best
performance.
Conclusions: An increasing number of
Veterans Health Administration patients are
presenting with overlapping mental health
conditions such as PTSD and depression and
cognitive conditions like mild TBI. Because there
are no validated therapies to treat these
co-morbidities, future efforts must include
sharper attention to vigorous and
interdisciplinary research into the relationship
and treatment of mTBI and mental health conditinos.
---------------------
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
“To this day, some veterans-it is impossible
to know how many-remain unscreened, their symptoms
undiagnosed. […] Even now, with traumatic brain
injury called the signature injury of the Iraq
war, some soldiers and their advocates say that
complications from mild concussions often are not
recognized” -Lizette Alvarez, “War
Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked”
The
International Conference on Behavioral Health and
Traumatic Brain Injury brought together national
and international expert neuroscientists,
behavioral health specialists, and physicians to
generate a comprehensive report to Congress with
recommendations and priorities to address the
psychological health difficulties and traumatic
brain injury of our returning military veterans.
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - October 3, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
In late breaking news from the United States
Capitol, Congress has just approved a $700 billion
financial bailout package, which also includes
landmark mental health parity legislation (H.R.
1424/S. 558) and dozens of expiring tax breaks for
businesses and individuals.
This legislation was sent in an expedited fashion
this afternoon to President Bush who signed the
measure into law hours after its passage.
As the previous edition of Policy Corner noted,
several important legislative developments
occurred last week, and this week’s edition of
Policy Corner includes additional details about
these developments as they pertain to brain injury
policy.
It remains unclear whether Congress will return
for a lame duck session in November after the
elections, although at least a short session
appears likely for the Senate the week of November
17. BIAA will provide an update on the remainder
of this year’s congressional schedule as soon as
this information available.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please CLICK
HERE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congress Passes Financial Bailout Legislation,
Mental Health Parity
In late breaking news from the United States
Capitol, Congress has just approved a $700 billion
financial bailout package, which also includes
landmark mental health parity legislation (H.R.
1424/S. 558) and dozens of expiring tax breaks for
businesses and individuals.
This marks a tremendous victory for mental health
advocates and others who have supported efforts to
enact a parity bill for years. This legislation
will require private health insurers to offer
mental health and addiction benefits equal in cost
and scope to traditional medical benefits.
Earlier this year, BIAA strongly endorsed the
House version of this legislation. In a letter
officially endorsing the bill in March, BIAA
noted, “An intricate and intertwined
relationship exists between substance abuse,
mental health, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Substance use and abuse is often both an
antecedent to and a consequence of TBI.”
Upon its passage this afternoon, one of the bill’s
sponsors and leading champions, Congressman
Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI), stated:
“This legislation is one more step in the long
civil rights struggle to ensure that all Americans
have the opportunity to reach their potential. For
far too long, health insurance companies have used
the stigma of mental illness and substance abuse
as an excuse to deny coverage for those biological
disorders. That ends today when this critical
legislation outlaws the discrimination that is
embedded in our laws and our policies.”
Other bill sponsors and leading supporters include
Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN) in the House of
Representatives, as well as Sen. Pete Domenici
(R-NM) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) in the
Senate. Late Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) was
also a leading champion of this legislation.
Appropriations Update
Last week, the House passed an omnibus
continuing appropriations bill to fund most
government programs – including TBI and
trauma-related programs - at Fiscal 2008 (last
year’s) levels until March 6, 2009.
Over the weekend, the Senate also passed this
omnibus legislative package and forwarded it to
President Bush, who signed it into law just hours
before the beginning of the new fiscal year on
October 1.
This massive year-end spending package includes a
Continuing Resolution (CR) which funds programs
covered by nine unfinished appropriations bills
(including the Fiscal 2009 Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations bill, which contains funding for
key federal TBI programs) at Fiscal 2008 levels
until enactment of the bills or March 6, 2009 -
whichever comes first. This essentially leaves
final funding decisions on domestic programs to
the next Congress and president.
Within this CR, all civilian health programs,
including TBI and trauma-related programs, are
funded at Fiscal 2008 levels. These Fiscal 2008
levels, and thus continuing funding levels through
the beginning of next year, are as follows:
CDC TBI Programs (HHS): $5.709 million
HRSA TBI Programs (HHS) (HRSA TBI State Grant
Program and Protection and Advocacy Systems):
$8.754 million
TBI Model Systems of Care (NIDRR/Department of
Education): $8.155 million
In addition to the CR to provide continuing
appropriations for most federal programs, the
omnibus bill also includes three Fiscal 2009
appropriations bills in their entirety. These
three appropriations bills are those that fund
Defense, Homeland Security and Military
Construction-VA for all of FY 2009.
The Defense appropriations measure included in
this legislative package contains $300 million in
funding for Traumatic Brain Injury and
Psychological Health initiatives within the
Department of Defense.
The Military Construction-VA appropriations
measure includes $41 billion in funding for the
Veterans Health Administration (veterans medical
care), representing $1.8 billion above the
President’s budget request earlier this year and
$4.1 billion above 2008 levels. This funding bill
also provides $510 million in funding for Medical
and Prosthetic Research, including cutting edge
research into areas such as Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury, suicide
prevention, and polytrauma. This funding level for
research represents $30 million above 2008 levels,
and rejects a $38 million cut proposed by
President Bush.
The Military Construction-VA appropriations bill
contained in this omnibus legislative package also
included important report language (strongly
supported by BIAA) urging the Department of
Veterans Affairs to increase returning
servicemembers’ access to TBI care and expertise
in the civilian sector. Specifically, the
Explanatory Statement accompanying this bill
states:
“The Appropriations Committees strongly urge the
Department to establish and expand cooperative
agreements with public and private entities with
neurobehavioral rehabilitation and recovery
experience in the treatment of Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI) as recommended in section 1703 of
Public Law 110-181” [FY 2008 National Defense
Authorization Act]."
In addition, the bill provides $200 million for
fee-based services intended to allow the VA to tap
expertise in the public and private sector for
health care that may not be readily available
within VA medical centers.
Congress Authorizes VA Epilepsy Centers of
Excellence
Last week, the House passed an omnibus
veterans health care package (S. 2612), including
key provisions of The Epilepsy Centers of
Excellence Act (H.R. 2818/S. 2004), which BIAA has
strongly endorsed.
Over the weekend, the Senate also passed this
legislation and it is expected to be signed into
law by the President imminently.
The legislation, championed by the American
Academy of Neurology and endorsed by BIAA,
anticipates an expected increase in the number of
TBI-related epilepsy cases among veterans
returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The bill will create up to six Epilepsy Centers of
Excellence (ECoE) at the Department of Veterans'
Affairs (VA), and is aimed at restoring the VA as
a national leader in epilepsy care and research.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter
(D-CO) in the House of Representatives and Sen.
Patty Murray (D-WA) in the Senate.
Congress Clears FY 2009 Defense Authorization Bill
For President’s Signature
Within the past few days, Congress also passed
the FY 2009 defense authorization bill (S. 3001).
This legislation contains a “Sense of Congress
on TBI Research.” Specifically, the bill states
in Sec. 725:
“It is the sense of Congress that the
requirement under section 1621(c)(7) of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110–181; 122 Stat. 453; 10
U.S.C. 1071note) to conduct basic science and
translational research on traumatic brain injury
includes pilot programs designed to test the
efficacy of clinical approaches, including the use
of pharmacological agents. Congress urges
continued studies of the efficacy of
pharmacological agents for treatment of traumatic
brain injury and supports continued joint research
with the National Institutes of Health in this
area.”
BIAA Signs on To Coalition Letter Opposing
Proposed Medicaid Outpatient Regulation
BIAA recently signed on to a coalition letter
urging Congress to enact a moratorium on a
regulation proposed by the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) to restrict Medicaid
reimbursement for outpatient services. This
regulation is termed the “Medicaid Outpatient
Clinic and Hospital Services Rule,” and it would
reduce federal Medicaid funding to states for
freestanding health clinics and hospital
outpatient departments.
This regulation, published on September 28, 2007 -
and expected to be finalized in November of this
year - would cut Medicaid reimbursement to many
types of outpatient services, including services
utilized by individuals with brain injury. [72
Federal Regulation 55158 to 55166 (to be codified
at 42 C.F.R. 440, 447 and sometimes referred to as
CMS 2213-P).]
To prevent finalization of this rule, BIAA has
joined the Consortium for Citizens with
Disabilities in urging Congress to enact a
moratorium delaying implementation of this harmful
regulation through April 2009.
In a heartening development, this week Members of
Congress introduced legislation aimed at enacting
such a moratorium.
Yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) introduced the “Preserving
Access to Healthcare” (PATH) Act of 2008, which
would, among other provisions, delay the proposed
Medicaid outpatient regulation by six months.
In addition, earlier this week, Rep. John McHugh
(R-NY) introduced H.R. 7219, the Protecting
Hospital Outpatient and Community Clinic Services
Act of 2008, which would provide a moratorium on
the regulation.
Multiple BIAA representatives attended this
week a scientific conference titled, “Trauma
Spectrum Disorders: The Role of Gender, Race &
Other Socioeconomic Factors.”
This conference – jointly sponsored by the
Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological
Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institutes
of Health - focused on identifying and sharing
knowledge and lessons learned about gender and
race as they relate to psychological health and
traumatic brain injury.
Presentations made at this conference are expected
to soon be made publicly available on the Defense
Center of Excellence’s website: CLICK
HERE
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - September 26, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
As you probably already know, this week most
of Congress’ focus centered on developing
legislation to address the crisis facing the
country’s financial markets. Late-breaking
developments are occurring into the weekend.
However, in addition to working on legislation
aimed at rescuing the nation’s financial
services sector, a number of other bills are in
play as lawmakers try to finish up work before
adjourning for the year and hitting the campaign
trail.
In response to the fact that no single Fiscal Year
(FY) 2009 appropriations bill has been enacted
this year, the House on Wednesday passed an
omnibus continuing appropriations bill to fund
most government programs – including key TBI
programs - at Fiscal 2008 (last year’s) levels
until March 6, 2009.
Also nearing completion is the FY 2009 defense
authorization bill (S. 3001). The House passed an
amended version of the bill under an expedited
procedure on Wednesday and the Senate expects to
consider the bill once again within the next few
days. BIAA is currently working to clarify what
TBI-related provisions are included in this bill.
In addition, this week the House passed an omnibus
veterans health care package (S. 2612), including
key provisions of The Epilepsy Centers of
Excellence Act (H.R. 2818), which BIAA has
strongly endorsed. BIAA is currently working to
clarify what other TBI-related provisions are
included in this bill.
BIAA is pleased to report on an exciting, historic
moment which occurred this week in Washington: On
Thursday, September 25, President Bush signed
legislation to restore vital civil rights
protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). The ADA Amendments Act, which has been
widely supported by disability advocacy
organizations, including BIAA, will now become
law.
Also of note this week was the Department of
Veterans Affairs’ publication of a Final Rule to
revise the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities to
provide detailed and updated criteria for
evaluating residuals of traumatic brain injury
(TBI). A copy of this Final Rule is available
online CLICK
HERE
Although Congress was tentatively scheduled to
adjourn for the year today – September 26 – at
this point a final adjournment date is unclear, as
it is expected that legislative proceedings will
carry over into this weekend and possibly into
next week as well.
In addition, it remains unclear whether Congress
will return for a lame duck session in November
after the elections, although such a session
appears less likely to occur now that Congress
seems well on its way to passing continuing
appropriations funding the government through
March of next year.
Please stay tuned, as the next edition of Policy
Corner will contain expanded details on key
legislation passed by the House this week, as well
as information on the latest developments into
next week.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please go CLICK
HERE
In response to the fact that no single Fiscal
Year (FY) 2009 appropriations bill has been
enacted this year, the House passed on Wednesday
an omnibus continuing appropriations bill to fund
most government programs – including TBI and
trauma-related programs - at Fiscal 2008 (last
year’s) levels until March 6, 2009.
The package includes a Continuing Resolution (CR)
which funds programs covered by nine unfinished
appropriations bills (including the Fiscal 2009
Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which
contains funding for key federal TBI programs) at
Fiscal 2008 levels until enactment of the bills or
March 6, 2009 - whichever comes first.
Within this CR, all civilian health programs,
including TBI and trauma-related programs, are
funded at Fiscal 2008 levels.
In addition to the CR to provide continuing
appropriations for most federal programs, the
omnibus bill also includes three Fiscal 2009
appropriations bills in their entirety. These
three appropriations bills are those that fund
Defense, Homeland Security and Military
Construction-VA for all of FY 2009. BIAA is
currently working to clarify funding in these
bills related to TBI.
The Senate has not taken final action on this
omnibus spending package, but House Appropriations
Committee Chairman Obey has reportedly reached
agreement on the measure with Senate leadership,
and the Senate plans to consider the bill on
Saturday, September 27.
VA Issues Regulations To Improve Disability Rating
System For TBI
Also of note this week was the Department of
Veterans Affairs’ publication of a Final Rule to
revise the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities to
provide detailed and updated criteria for
evaluating residuals of traumatic brain injury
(TBI).
According to USA Today, issuance of this
Final Rule marks the first time the VA has
formally acknowledged “that veterans suffering
from this less severe version of the Iraq war's
signature wound will struggle to make a living.”
(USA Today, 9/23/08, Gregg Zoroya).
BIAA is working on developing an analysis of these
new regulations. A copy of the Final Rule is
available online CLICK
HERE
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - September 19, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
As this week’s legislative activity came to
a close, Congress was struggling to deal with the
crisis facing the nation’s financial markets,
and the legislative calendar for next week remains
fluid.
Although Congress was expected to adjourn next
Friday, September 26, it remains unclear right now
whether that adjournment date will hold. Further,
with the anticipated addition of new legislation
next week to address the crisis in the financial
services sector, it seems even more likely than
ever that Congress may return in November after
the election to conduct a lame duck session. Stay
tuned.
Meanwhile, several developments regarding federal
brain injury policy occurred this week.
The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Brain Injury
Task Force, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Rep.
Todd Platts (R-PA) sent a letter, signed by over
60 House members from both parties, to Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates urging TRICARE coverage
of cognitive rehabilitation.
Also this week, the Congressional Brain Injury
Task Force held a well-attended briefing featuring
a presentation by BIA of Oklahoma Vice President
Michael Paul Mason, a brain injury case manager
and author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain
Injury and Its Aftermath.
In addition, BIAA joined several other TBI
stakeholders this week in circulating
organizational sign-on letters to gather support
from other advocacy groups in urging key
appropriators to provide increased funding for
federal TBI programs.
Finally, the House of Representatives passed, and
cleared for the President’s expected signature,
The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 3406) on
Thursday, September 18. This legislation to
clarify and update the Americans with Disabilities
Act has been widely supported by disability
advocacy organizations, including BIAA.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please CLICK
HERE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Urges
TRICARE to Cover Cognitive Rehabilitation
This week, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional
Brain Injury Task Force, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
and Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) sent a letter, signed
by over 60 House members from both parties, to
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urging TRICARE
coverage of cognitive rehabilitation.
The letter follows a similar effort in the Senate
– promoted strongly by BIAA - in which a group
of 10 Senators issued a letter on August 4, 2008
to Secretary Gates urging official TRICARE
coverage of cognitive rehabilitation.
In an impressive show of bipartisan support for
TRICARE coverage of cognitive rehabilitation, the
letter from Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
Co-Chairs Pascrell and Platts garnered a total of
over 60 additional signatories, representing
support from Members of both parties.
The House letter states, “Our nation’s wounded
warriors deserve world class health care. For this
reason, we are concerned that cognitive
rehabilitation therapy is excluded for coverage by
the military’s health care plan TRICARE for
brain injury patients. Access to cognitive
rehabilitation is a basic element of the continuum
of care for brain injury patients and should be
covered by TRICARE.
BIAA is closely monitoring the situation and will
share news of Secretary Gates’ response as soon
as it is publicly issued.
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Holds
Briefing on Head Cases
On Tuesday, September 16, the
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force held a
well-attended briefing featuring a presentation by
BIA of Oklahoma Vice President Michael Paul Mason,
a brain injury case manager and author of Head
Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath.
Rep. Pascrell and Rep. Platts both made
introductory remarks at the briefing, which was
attended by a number of Capitol Hill staffers, as
well as advocates from the brain injury community.
In a riveting presentation featuring audio and
visual elements, Michael Mason gave Hill staffers
a glimpse into the experience and many
ramifications of traumatic brain injury, with a
particular focus on the experience of
combat-related brain injury, and the implications
for individuals and society.
Thanks to a generous donation by the Neurologic
Rehabilitation Institute at Brookhaven Hospital,
complimentary copies of Head Cases were
offered to Members of Congress and their staff at
the event.
TBI Stakeholders Circulate Organizational Sign-On
Letters
BIAA joined several other TBI stakeholders
this week in circulating organizational sign-on
letters to gather support from other advocacy
groups in urging key appropriators to provide
increased funding for federal TBI programs.
In addition to BIAA, the TBI stakeholders leading
this effort include the International Brain
Research Foundation, the National Association of
State Head Injury Administrators, and the National
Disability Rights Network.
Consistent with last week’s BIAA Legislative
Action Alert, the letters urge senior House and
Senate Appropriators to support funding levels for
the Department of Health and Human Services
traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs, as
recommended by the House Labor-HHS-Education
Subcommittee, and Senate Appropriations
Committee-passed funding levels and language for
the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
As a reminder, if you haven’t already, please
visit BIAA’s Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/bia/home/
<http://capwiz.com/bia/utr/1/IDSUJFFBAE/GNEMJFFBHJ/2410574781>
to urge your elected officials to increase funding
for federal TBI programs.
As in past years, Congress is not expected to
finish appropriations before the end of the fiscal
year on September 30. Instead, Congress will most
likely need to pass an extended Continuing
Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2009
Appropriations to keep the government running into
the next fiscal year beginning on October 1.
House Passes The ADA Amendments Act of 2008;
Clears Bill for President To Sign
On Thursday, September 18, the House of
Representatives passed, and cleared for the
President’s expected signature, The ADA
Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 3406). This legislation
to clarify and update the Americans with
Disabilities Act has been widely supported by
disability advocacy organizations, including BIAA.
Thursday’s House action followed last week’s
passage of the bill by the Senate. The bill will
now be sent to President Bush, who is expected to
sign the bill shortly.
This important legislation:
• Expands the definition of disability;
• Makes it easier for workers to prove
discrimination due to a disability;
• Rejects the strict standards used by the
Supreme Court to determine who is disabled.
BIAA has signed on to multiple coalition letters
in recent weeks and months urging passage of this
legislation. This legislation aims to restore the
Americans with Disabilities Act to its original
intent in the wake of a series of court rulings
which disability advocates assert has resulted in
a category of clinically disabled people who do
not qualify for protections under the ADA.
The chief sponsor of the bill, Senator Tom Harkin
(D-Iowa) said: "The Supreme Court decisions
have led to a supreme adsurdity, a Catch-22
situation. The more successful a person is at
coping with a disability, the more likely it is
that a court will find that they are no longer
disabled and therefore no longer covered under the
ADA."
Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said that the
bill, by establishing more generous coverage and
protection, "will make a real difference in
the lives of real people."
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - September 12, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
Congress reconvened this week to begin its
fall legislative session after a month-long summer
recess.
The Brain Injury Association of America submitted
formal testimony at a hearing held this week by
the House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee.
The hearing was held on Tuesday, September 9, and
focused on several pieces of legislation,
including H.R. 3051, The Heroes At Home Act of
2007, which BIAA has strongly endorsed.
BIAA also sent out a Legislative Action Alert this
week, urging grassroots advocates to tell their
elected officials in Congress to increase
appropriations for federal TBI programs in the
expected upcoming extended Continuing Resolution.
To take action, please visit BIAA’s Legislative
Action Center CLICK
HERE
In addition, the Senate passed The ADA
Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 3406) on Thursday,
September 11. This legislation to clarify and
update the Americans with Disabilities Act has
been widely supported by disability advocacy
organizations, including BIAA.
In other news this week, it was announced that the
University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego)
School of Medicine will lead a $60 million,
five-year, 10-site Clinical Consortium funded by
the Department of Defense Psychological
Health/Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program to
conduct studies leading to the prevention and
treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
and TBI. In a September 10 San Diego Union-Tribune
article reporting on this new Consortium, BIAA CEO
and President Susan H. Connors was quoted,
stating, “This war, no matter how you feel about
it, is going to make a monumental difference in
the lives of people with brain injuries.”
***SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*** : BIAA is excited to
announce that the Congressional Brain Injury Task
Force will be holding a briefing on Capitol Hill
next Tuesday featuring a presentation by Michael
Paul Mason, a brain injury case manager and author
of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its
Aftermath. BIAA has been proud to help facilitate
this educational event, which will be held on
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 10:30 a.m., in Room
121 of the Cannon House Office Building. The
briefing is open to the public, as well as to
Members of Congress and their staff.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please CLICK
HERE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
House VA Health Subcommittee Considers Heroes at
Home Act of 2008
The Brain Injury Association of America
submitted formal testimony at a hearing held this
week by the House Veterans Affairs Health
Subcommittee. The hearing was held on Tuesday,
September 9, and focused on several pieces of
legislation, including H.R. 3051, The Heroes At
Home Act of 2007, which BIAA has strongly
endorsed.
This important legislation, introduced by Rep.
John Salazar (D-CO), would authorize the creation
of a program within the Department of Veterans
Affairs to provide training, certification and
compensation to family caregivers acting as
personal care attendants for returning
servicemembers with severe TBI. BIAA submitted
testimony in strong support of this bill,
describing the importance of providing much-needed
supports to family caregivers of individuals with
brain injury.
BIAA’s testimony stated, “Family care is the
most important source of assistance for people
with chronic or disabling conditions, including
people with brain injury. Yet, research has found
that all too often, the traumatic brain injury of
a spouse or close relative places extreme stress
on family caregivers, frequently resulting in
negative physical and emotional outcomes for the
caregivers themselves. Unfortunately, despite
these documented physical hardships and
psychological stress, family caregivers receive
little support.”
BIAA also continues to support similar legislation
in the Senate, The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act
(S. 2921), which was introduced earlier this year
by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). This
bill would authorize a pilot program within the
Department of Veterans Affairs to provide
training, certification and compensation to family
caregivers acting as personal care attendants for
returning servicemembers with severe TBI. The
Caring for Wounded Warriors Act would also
authorize a pilot program to leverage existing
partnerships between Veterans Affairs facilities
and the nation’s premier universities, training
graduate students to provide respite care for
families caring for wounded warriors with TBI.
Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Update
This week, BIAA sent out a Legislative Action
Alert, urging grassroots advocates to tell their
elected officials in Congress to increase
appropriations for federal TBI programs in the
expected upcoming extended Continuing Resolution
(CR).
As in past years, Congress is not expected to
finish appropriations before the end of the fiscal
year on September 30. Instead, Congress will most
likely need to pass an extended Continuing
Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2009
Appropriations to keep the government running into
the next fiscal year beginning on October 1.
It is expected that most programs will be funded
at last year’s levels in the upcoming CR which,
depending on whether or not Congress holds a lame
duck session after the November election, could
extend into February of 2009, if not longer.
In addition to issuing its own Legislative Action
Alert, BIAA has signed on to several other
coalition letters urging Congress to provide
increased funding for health programs in the CR
and any eventual final Fiscal Year 2009 funding
bill. One of these letters was spearheaded by The
Coalition for American Trauma Care, and urges key
appropriators to fund trauma-related programs –
including TBI Act programs - at the highest level
provided by either this year’s House or Senate
Committee-passed Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations bills.
The other appropriations-related letter BIAA
signed on to recently was led by the Coalition for
Health Funding. This broad health letter urged
appropriators and House and Senate leadership to
ensure that all health programs in the Continuing
Resolution receive increased funding as provided
in this year’s House and Senate Committee-passed
Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bills. A total
of 300 health groups signed onto this letter.
To take action, please visit BIAA’s Legislative
Action Center
CLICK
HERE
Senate Passes The ADA Amendments Act of 2008
In addition, the Senate passed The ADA
Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 3406) on Thursday,
September 11. This legislation to clarify and
update the Americans with Disabilities Act has
been widely supported by disability advocacy
organizations, including BIAA.
According to a news article in CQ Today,
this bill is designed to “clarify a landmark
1990 disability rights law [The Americans with
Disabilities Act] in the wake of numerous Supreme
Court decisions that lawmakers say have improperly
narrowed the law’s scope” (CQ Today,
9/11/08, Karoun Demirjian).
BIAA has signed on to multiple coalition letters
in recent weeks and months urging passage of this
legislation. This legislation aims to restore the
Americans with Disabilities Act to its original
intent in the wake of a series of court rulings
which disability advocates assert has resulted in
a category of clinically disabled people who do
not qualify for protections under the ADA.
The House passed its version of the legislation,
H.R. 3195, earlier this year but is expected to
take up the Senate’s version next week in order
to expedite final passage and signature into law
in coming weeks.
Brain Injury Association of America Legislative
Alert - September 5, 2008
Dear
Advocates:
As a month-long summer recess dominated by
party politics and convention drama draws to a
close, Congress plans to reconvene for its fall
legislative session on Monday, September 8, 2008.
You may recall that unfortunately, due to
technical difficulties the Brain Injury
Association of America was unable to distribute
the August 1, 2008 edition of BIAA Policy Corner.
We apologize for this inconvenience, and thank you
again for your patience.
This special Fall Outlook Special Edition of BIAA’s
Policy Corner E-Newsletter contains numerous
legislative updates on congressional activity
which took place in the days right before the
beginning of the summer recess period.
In addition, this Fall Outlook Special Edition
includes a preview of the political climate
expected to impact legislative proceedings over
the next few weeks and months leading up to the
November election.
*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Director
of Government Affairs, on behalf of the Brain
Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext.
637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org
BIAA’s Policy Corner and Legislative
Action Alerts are made possible by the Centre for
Neuro Skills, James F. Humphreys & Associates,
and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain
Injury Association of America gratefully
acknowledges their support for legislative action.
To sign up to receive future BIAA Policy Corner
E-Newsletters and Legislative Action Alerts,
please CLICK
HERE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIAA Spearheads Senate Letter Urging TRICARE to
Cover Cognitive Rehabilitation
Reflecting one of BIAA's biggest public policy
accomplishments this year, a group of Senators
issued a letter on August 4, 2008 to Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates urging official TRICARE
coverage of cognitive rehabilitation.
The group of 10 United States Senators, led by
Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), sent a
letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates
calling on him to enact official coverage of
cognitive rehabilitation within the military's
TRICARE health insurance program. Several major
media outlets covered this story, and the press
release announcing this letter included a quote
from Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack
Obama in which he described cognitive
rehabilitation therapy as “one of the most
accepted treatments for TBI.”
Throughout the summer, BIAA worked closely with
Senator Bayh's office to support the development
of this letter and to urge the support of 10
highly esteemed Senators who signed on in support
of this important effort to increase access to
timely, state-of-the-art care for returning
servicemembers with traumatic brain injury.
A copy of the letter, along with talking points in
support of TRICARE coverage of cognitive
rehabilitation, and a summary of evidence
attesting the efficacy of cognitive
rehabilitation, is available on BIAA's website CLICK
HERE
In another promising development, the
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force is currently
working on a similar effort on the House side.
House Approves Military Construction-VA Spending
Bill Without TBI Amendments
Despite little progress on appropriations so
far this year, the House of Representatives was
able to pass its version of the Fiscal 2009
Military Construction-VA spending bill (H.R. 6599)
by a vote of 409-4 on August 1, 2008.
This appropriations measure represents the only
regular Fiscal 2009 appropriations bill to receive
House floor consideration so far this session, and
could also be one of the last. (See “Fall
Outlook” section below).
The $118.7 billion Military Construction-VA
appropriations bill includes $500 million for
medical and prosthetic research, rejecting the
President’s $38 million cut and representing $20
million over last year’s funding allocation for
such research. In addition, the bill allocates
$200 million for fee-based services to improve
access to care where Veterans Health
Administration services are not available; it is
possible that such services could potentially
include TBI care and rehabilitation services.
Two amendments filed by House Veterans Affairs
Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) related to veterans’
TBI care were subsequently withdrawn after bill
manager Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX) promised to work
with Rep. Filner on his suggestions over the next
several months.
One of the amendments filed by Rep. Filner would
have allocated $250 million to establish a
community grant program to provide rehabilitative
services to veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) or TBI.
Rep. Filner’s other TBI-related amendment would
have designated $10 million to establish a “heroes’
homecoming pilot program” intended to evaluate
the effectiveness of offering compulsory
screening, evaluation and treatment for TBI (as
well as mental health conditions, including PTSD),
for active-duty servicemembers and veterans.
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee
approved its version of the fiscal 2009 Military
Construction-VA spending bill (S. 3301), on July
17, 2008. The Senate version of this funding bill
contains increased funding for medical research,
including TBI research. The bill also includes
valuable report language directing the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and expand
cooperative agreements with public and private
groups to treat traumatic brain injury patients
from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to
report on expanding the pool for expertise
available to treat the injuries.
BIAA applauds this report language, as one of BIAA’s
main federal policy goals continues to be
increasing access to non-VA (civilian) TBI care
providers when in the optimal interest of the
service member, and BIAA remains very active on
this issue on Capitol Hill.
House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Approves
TBI Funding
On a related note, the House Defense
Appropriations Subcommittee passed its version of
the Fiscal 2009 Defense Appropriations bill on
July 30, 2008, including hundreds of millions of
dollars allocated for TBI.
The funding bill approved by the Subcommittee
includes $617 million for Traumatic Brain Injury
and Psychological Health.
Senate Republicans Block The Advancing America’s
Priorities Act
Unfortunately, on July 28, 2008, Senate
Republicans rejected an effort to invoke cloture
on The Advancing America’s Priorities Act (S.
3297), an omnibus measure containing several
non-controversial bills, including important
public health measures related to brain injury.
With the exception of three Republican Senators --
Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Gordon H. Smith of
Oregon and John W. Warner of Virginia – all
other Senate Republicans followed the lead of
conservative Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma in
blocking consideration of the legislation.
As you may recall, in July BIAA issued a
Legislative Action Alert requesting that advocates
call their Senators and urge them to vote for
passage of this important legislation.
Among the nearly three dozen bipartisan,
non-controversial measures included in this
omnibus legislation were two bills which would
help address the public health epidemic of brain
injury in United States: The STOP Stroke Act (S.
999/ H.R. 477) and The Christopher and Dana Reeve
Paralysis Act (S. 1183/H.R. 1727).
The STOP Stroke Act is bipartisan legislation by
Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Edward Kennedy
(D-Mass.) that would help ensure that all stroke
patients are treated as quickly and effectively as
possible. Among other things, the STOP Stroke Act
would authorize a grant program to help provide
states with resources to ensure that patients have
access to quality stroke education, prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation services by
establishing coordinated stroke care systems.
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act is a
non-controversial, bipartisan bill which is
primarily about two things: 1 - Advancing
collaborative research in paralysis and 2 -
Improving the quality of life today for people
living with paralysis and mobility impairments
from any cause -- stroke, traumatic brain injury,
ALS, spinal cord injuries, and others.
It remains unclear whether there will be another
opportunity this year in the Senate to pass the
bills contained in this legislative package.
BIAA Again Urges Senators to Swiftly Pass the ADA
Amendments Act
Once again, BIAA signed a coalition letter
urging passage of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008
(H.R. 3195/S.3406). On August 8, 2008, BIAA joined
a number of other groups in signing a letter which
was distributed to Senators over the summer recess
urging swift Senate enactment of the ADA
Amendments Act of 2008 (S. 3406).
The Senate version of the bill (S. 3406) was
recently introduced in that chamber on July 31,
2008. Earlier this summer, the House of
Representatives passed its version of the bill
(H.R. 3195) by an overwhelming margin of 402-17.
Department of Labor Announces Initiative to Help
Veterans with TBI
On August 20, 2008, the United States
Department of Labor announced a new initiative to
help employers of veterans and others with
traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD).
As part of this initiative, the Department of
Labor unveiled the America's Heroes at Work
website, which will "provide information
about TBI and PTSD, as well as tools and guidance
on how to implement workplace accommodations and
other services that benefit affected
individuals."
Although Congress is reconvening to begin its
fall legislative session on Monday, this session
is not expected to last long, given the universal
need to campaign in the weeks leading up to the
November election. The target adjournment date for
the House of Representatives is September 26,
leaving roughly three weeks for legislative
activity to occur.
As soon as Congress returns on Monday, both
chambers are expected to begin developing a
Continuing Resolution (CR) to ensure continued
funding for the government once Fiscal Year 2008
ends on September 30.
A CR is expected to take the place of the many
regular Fiscal Year 2009 annual appropriations
bills, because most of these appropriations bills
will likely remain stalled this year. Note: The
fiscal 2009 Military Construction-VA
appropriations bill, as well as the Fiscal 2009
Defense Appropriations bill, are the only two
regular Fiscal 2009 appropriations measures
expected to possibly progress.
A CR would provide stopgap funding for the federal
government as Fiscal Year 2009 begins on October
1, 2008.
Since a CR is expected to include funding for the
federal agencies which house important TBI
programs, there is an urgent need for advocates to
call on elected officials to ensure sufficient
funding is provided for these programs in the
stopgap funding resolution.
Stay tuned to BIAA for a forthcoming Legislative
Action Alert along these lines.
