The Consortium planning the event includes a diverse group of military, veterans and community-service organizations, including Disabled Veterans of America, the Brain Injury Association of America, and Sentinels of Freedom. These groups are working in partnership with the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local governments, and faith and community-based organizations to deliver services and support to our military, veterans and families.

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 funding bill also contains 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.

The report language also encourages the VA to initiate a demonstration project on community reintegration for service members and veterans with disabilities who are receiving services at polytrauma centers.

This vital legislation also contains an 18-month delay in implementation of Medicare’s competitive bidding program for Durable Medical Equipment (DME), as well as an 18-month extension of the Medicare outpatient therapy cap exceptions process. Both of these provisions are vitally important to many individuals with brain injury who rely on Medicare in order to receive health care and rehabilitative services.

Thank you to all of the advocates who responded to BIAA’s Legislative Action Alert last week urging Senators to override a veto by President Bush!!!

Of course, when the law expires in 18 months, Congress will have to re-visit this issue once again, but BIAA will be ready again to continue strongly advocating for an effective legislative solution to ensure that access to health care and rehabilitative services through Medicare is not diminished.

These critical provisions include an 18-month extension of the Medicare outpatient therapy caps exceptions process, a component of the bill strongly supported by advocates working to improve access to vital rehabilitation therapies for individuals with brain injury.

The bill also includes a much-needed 18-month delay in the implementation of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program, and spares power wheelchairs and oxygen equipment from deep cuts. If the competitive bidding program is implemented as currently scheduled, it stands to negatively impact many users of assistive technology devices, including individuals with brain injury.

Despite these important provisions, it is anticipated that President Bush will veto the bill, and although the Senate passed the bill with a veto-proof margin earlier this week, the White House needs only three Senators to switch their votes in order for a veto override to fail. If the President delays acting on the bill, or Congress is unable to override an expected veto, the physician payment cuts and DME competitive bidding program will go into effect, and the outpatient therapy caps exceptions process will continue to be expired (as of June 30, 2008).

Click the “Take Action” link in the upper right-hand corner of this email to call your Senator TODAY and urge him or her to support the Medicare package (H.R. 6331) and vote to override a presidential veto of the bill if one is issued.

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The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) recently joined a consortium of non-profit organizations dedicated to serving active military, veterans, their families and their survivors, in inviting the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to Fort Hood, Texas, for an in-depth discussion of the increasingly complex issues facing America’s military and veteran community. The CBS television network has agreed to produce and broadcast the very important Town Hall meeting in prime time on Monday, August 11, 2008.

As of July 17, 2008, the Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has agreed to participate in the Town Hall, but the Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has not agreed to attend the event.

BIAA is a non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of all individuals with brain injuries and their families. During this presidential campaign, BIAA strongly advocates for an open, transparent discussion of public policy issues related to traumatic brain injury (TBI) among both returning service members and civilians. BIAA believes the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall represents a tremendous opportunity to facilitate this discussion in regards to returning service members.

Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world. As a result, it has deployed, and continues to deploy, the most soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of our continuing global war on terror. Consequently, BIAA cannot imagine a more appropriate audience—or a more compelling location—for such a discussion concerning the health care needs of returning service members, including TBI.

The Consortium planning the event includes a diverse group of military, veterans and community-service organizations, including Disabled Veterans of America, the Brain Injury Association of America, and Sentinels of Freedom.  These groups are working in partnership with the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local governments, and faith and community-based organizations to deliver services and support to our military, veterans and families.

In the press release, BIAA President and CEO Susan H. Connors states, “Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common consequence of any war. TBI is recognized as the ’signature wound’ of the current conflict; yet, accessing the right treatment, right now remains a challenge for many wounded service members and veterans. Our troops and the millions of civilians who sustain TBIs here at home need proper screening and diagnosis, expert rehabilitation, and ongoing community-based services. Family caregivers need information, training and support, and voters everywhere need to let the presidential candidates know where we stand.”

To view BIAA’s press release in its entirety, please visit our website at http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.

The bill also includes a much-needed 18-month delay in the implementation of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Orthotics, Prosthetics and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program, and spares power wheelchairs and oxygen equipment from deep cuts.  If the competitive bidding program is implemented as currently scheduled, it stands to negatively impact many users of assistive technology devices, including individuals with brain injury.

Despite these important provisions, it is anticipated that President Bush will veto the bill, and although the Senate passed the bill with a veto-proof margin earlier this week, the White House needs only three Senators to switch their votes in order for a veto override to fail.  If the President delays acting on the bill, or Congress is unable to override an expected veto, the physician payment cuts and DME competitive bidding program will go into effect, and the outpatient therapy caps exceptions process will continue to be expired (as of June 30, 2008).

Click here to “Take Action” to call your Senator TODAY and urge him or her to support the Medicare package (H.R. 6331) and vote to override a presidential veto of the bill if one is issued.

CQ Today reported earlier this week, “Reid (D-Nev.) said his chamber will likely consider, at the most, two fiscal 2009 appropriations bills this year before passing a continuing resolution (CR) in September that would keep the government funded at current levels into early next calendar year, when a new president takes office.  The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1” (CQ Today, David Clarke, 7/10/08).

The full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education funding bill, which provides the same funding amounts for several TBI programs as last year.  This includes $5.7 million for TBI programming within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $8.754 million for the HRSA TBI State Grant Program.

The House Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations funding bill has only been passed by the House Subcommittee and not the full House Appropriations Committee.  The House Subcommittee markup contains increased funding for some federal TBI programs compared to last year.  The bill includes $11 million for the HRSA TBI State Grant Program (+$2.246 million over last year) and $6.6 million for TBI programming within CDC (+$0.9 million over last year).

In addition to replacing a 10.6 percent cut to Medicare’s physician payment rates with 18 months of stable payments, the Medicare bill also contains an 18-month delay in implementation of Medicare’s competitive bidding program for Durable Medical Equipment (DME), as well as an 18-month extension of the Medicare outpatient therapy cap exceptions process.

It is anticipated that President Bush will veto the bill, however, and although the Senate passed the bill with a veto-proof margin earlier this week, the White House needs only three Senators to switch their votes in order for a veto override to fail.  If the President delays acting on the bill, or Congress is unable to override an expected veto, the physician payment cuts and DME competitive bidding program will go into effect, and the outpatient therapy caps exceptions process will continue to be expired (as of June 30, 2008). Thus, it is extremely important that advocates visit BIAA’s Legislative Action Center to take action TODAY to urge their Senator to vote to override the President’s expected veto.  To do so, please visit http://capwiz.com/bia/callalert/index.tt?alertid=11604356.

The Consortium planning the event includes a diverse group of military, veterans and community-service organizations, including Disabled Veterans of America, the Brain Injury Association of America, and Sentinels of Freedom.  These groups are working in partnership with the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs, state and local governments, and faith and community-based organizations to deliver services and support to our military, veterans and families.

In the press release, BIAA President and CEO Susan H. Connors states, “Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common consequence of any war. TBI is recognized as the ‘signature wound’ of the current conflict; yet, accessing the right treatment, right now remains a challenge for many wounded service members and veterans. Our troops and the millions of civilians who sustain TBIs here at home need proper screening and diagnosis, expert rehabilitation, and ongoing community-based services. Family caregivers need information, training and support, and voters everywhere need to let the presidential candidates know where we stand.”

To view BIAA’s press release in its entirety, please visit our website at http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.