Brain Injury Blog | Traumatic Brain Injury TBI

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. Continue Reading »

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). Continue Reading »

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. Continue Reading »

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). Continue Reading »

Symposium on Deep Brain Stimulation Held in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, BIAA Government Affairs Associate Robert Demichelis attended “Brain Pacemakers: A Promising Approach and a New Era of Hope for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders,” a symposium on deep brain stimulation sponsored by The Office on Disability, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration. Continue Reading »

Medicare Competitive Bidding Program Under Congressional Scrutiny

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the issue of competitive bidding of durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare Fee-For-Service program. As a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), as well as the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, BIAA signed on to several letters urging Congress to ensure that the Medicare competitive bidding program does not decrease access to and the quality of assistive devices. Continue Reading »

BIAA Submits Testimony to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

Also this week, BIAA submitted written testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in charge of funding TBI programs within the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. BIAA’s testimony urges an increase in funding in Fiscal Year 2009 for programs authorized through the TBI Act, as well as TBI research programs conducted within the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

Within the testimony, BIAA requests $30 million in funding for programs authorized through the TBI Act, as well as sufficient funding to sustain and increase medical rehabilitation research within NIDRR. The testimony also urges an allocation of at least $8.3 million to allow NIDRR to continue to fund 16 TBI Model Systems research centers.

In addition, BIAA played a leading role, along with other national organizations, in recent weeks in drafting and circulating an organizational sign-on letter in support of FY09 TBI appropriations. The letter, which was signed by over 25 organizations - including several veterans organizations - was recently delivered to both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Copies of both BIAA’s written testimony and the Organizational Sign-On Letter in support of appropriations for TBI programs can be obtained by visiting BIAA’s website at the following address: http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.

House Overwhelmingly Passes Bill to Delay Harmful Medicaid Regulations

This week the House of Representatives passed by a veto-proof margin H.R. 5613, important legislation which would place a moratorium until March 2009 on seven harmful Medicaid regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. BIAA issued a Legislative Action Alert earlier this week before the vote encouraging advocates to urge their Representative to vote YES on the bill. The fate of the bill is now up to the Senate.

The legislation, which was originally introduced on March 13, 2008, would delay the implementation of seven harmful Medicaid regulations through March 2009, including several rules which would be especially deleterious to individuals with brain injury.

One of these rules would limit rehabilitation services for Medicaid beneficiaries, severely curtailing the ability of people with disabilities – including TBI – to receive rehabilitation services now covered under Medicaid. Access to these rehabilitative services is essential, as in many cases, these services play a vital role in allowing people with TBI to live independently in the community.

As the House considered and passed H.R. 5613 by a vote of 349-62 on Wednesday, Senate Republican leadership began circulating a letter defending the Medicaid regulations and urging colleagues to reject such legislation in the Senate. According to news sources, this letter forms part of a Republican strategy to demonstrate to supporters of H.R. 5613, through the gathering of a sufficient number of signatures, that they will not be able to override a veto in the Senate.

If enough Senators sign on to the Republican leadership letter, effectively backing up the president’s veto threat, there is speculation that the White House could then offer a limited moratorium on only two of the harmful regulations. Unfortunately, these two regulations are not the ones addressing targeted case management and rehabilitative services, which stand to directly impact individuals with brain injury. (CQ Healthbeat News, April 24, 2008, John Reichard).

Without a moratorium, all seven of the regulations would go into effect by June 30 of this year.

BIAA thanks advocates for contacting their Representatives this week, and will shortly issue another Legislative Alert anticipating Senate action on the bill.

A copy of BIAA’s letter endorsing H.R. 5613 can be obtained by visiting BIAA’s website at the following address: http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.

Brain Injury Association of America
Policy Corner E-Newsletter – April 18, 2008
A weekly update on federal policy activity related to traumatic brain injury
__________________________________________________________________

Dear Advocates:

After legislation to reauthorize the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act successfully passed Congress on April 10, the bill still needs to be considered by the President for his signature into law. BIAA anticipates this consideration will occur within the next week, and is closely monitoring the situation.

This week the House of Representatives passed by a veto-proof margin H.R. 5613, important legislation which would place a moratorium until March 2009 on seven harmful Medicaid regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. BIAA issued a Legislative Action Alert earlier this week before the vote encouraging advocates to urge their Representative to vote YES on the bill. The fate of the bill is now up to the Senate.

Also this week, BIAA submitted written testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in charge of funding TBI programs within the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. BIAA’s testimony urges an increase in funding in Fiscal Year 2009 for programs authorized through the TBI Act, as well as TBI research programs conducted within the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

In addition, a representative of BIAA was invited to attend an event hosted by President George W. Bush on Thursday, April 24, at the White House. The inspiring event honored a group of wounded warriors as they kicked off the Wounded Warrior Project’s second annual “Soldier Ride: White House to Light House Challenge.”

And lastly, BIAA was proud to sign on as a supporter of the National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week Resolution (S. Res. 518), which passed the Senate on Monday. The Resolution, introduced by Senator Dodd (D-CT), dedicates this week (the week of April 21st through 25th) to raise awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome and to ultimately eliminate its occurrence.

*Distributed by Laura Schiebelhut, BIAA Public Affairs Manager, on behalf of the Brain Injury Association of America; 703-761-0750 ext. 637; lschiebelhut@biausa.org

The Policy Corner is made possible by the Adam Williams Initiative, Centre for Neuro Skills, and Lakeview Healthcare Systems, Inc. The Brain Injury Association of America gratefully acknowledges their support for legislative action.

Last night, the Senate passed a slightly revised version of S. 793, the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, which exactly matches the House version passed earlier this week. The bill has now been cleared entirely by Congress and will be forwarded on to the President for his signature!!! Continue Reading »