BIAA Legislative Update May 23
Brain Injury Association of America
Policy Corner E-Newsletter – May 23, 2008
A weekly update on federal policy activity related to traumatic brain injury
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Advocates:
After a busy week focused on a variety of legislation, including unsuccessful efforts to achieve final passage of the war supplemental appropriations bill and a budget resolution conference agreement, Congress is now in recess until Monday, June 2, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
BIAA issued a Legislative Action Alert on Fiscal Year 2009 TBI appropriations this week, despite the fact that Congress failed to successfully pass a final budget resolution. BIAA urges advocates to make contact with their representatives in Congress - and if possible, schedule a face-to-face meeting while they are in their home districts this next week – and urge them to increase appropriations for federal TBI programs.
On Wednesday, May 21, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on pending health care legislation, including S. 2921, The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act, which BIAA has strongly endorsed. BIAA submitted a Statement for the Record for the hearing urging the Committee to swiftly approve the bill, which would strengthen supports for family caregivers of returning servicemembers with TBI.
Also this week, BIAA distributed an issue brief to Capitol Hill staff highlighting the need for TRICARE to officially cover cognitive rehabilitation. The information paper was accompanied by a summary of the research supporting the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in treating brain injury.
In addition this week, on May 22, 2008, BIAA submitted official comments to the Department of Education on the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research’s (NIDRR) Proposed Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2010-2014. BIAA’s comments were based on a coalition letter which BIAA signed on to as well, but also included BIAA’s individual recommendations for future research priorities.
Note: Policy Corner will not be published next week, as Congress will be out of session. The next issue of Policy Corner will be published on Friday, June 6.
*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/
__________________________________________________________________
Appropriations Update
BIAA issued a Legislative Action Alert on Fiscal Year 2009 TBI appropriations this week, despite the fact that Congress failed to successfully pass a final budget resolution.
Although conferees came to an agreement on a final budget plan on Tuesday, a glitch with a major farm bill (H.R. 2419) threw the congressional schedule in to chaos Wednesday night. This scheduling problem eventually resulted in the postponement of a vote on the adoption of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution conference agreement until June.
The budget resolution is a nonbinding document which determines annual aggregate revenue and spending targets for Congress. This year, Democrats have proposed to spend $24.5 billion more than the $991.6 billion in discretionary funding proposed by President Bush.
Final passage of a budget resolution would facilitate the establishment of official funding allocations for the fiscal 2009 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which funds multiple TBI-related programs, including programs authorized through the TBI Act.
However, according to CQ Today, “Because of the likelihood of a protracted dispute between Congress and the White House, few, if any, of the appropriations bills are likely to be cleared before the Nov. 4 elections. Indeed, Democrats may try to enact a long-term continuing resolution that would last until after the Jan. 20 inauguration of the next president” (David Clark, CQ Today, 5/22/08).
Regardless of how the appropriations process is expected to play out this year, BIAA urges advocates to make contact with their representatives in Congress - and if possible, schedule a face-to-face meeting while they are in their home districts this next week – and urge them to substantially increase appropriations for federal TBI programs.
BIAA Submits Statement for the Record to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
On Wednesday, May 21, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on pending health care legislation, including S. 2921, The Caring for Wounded Warriors Act, which BIAA has strongly endorsed. BIAA submitted a Statement for the Record for the hearing urging the Committee to swiftly approve the bill, which was introduced by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and would increase support for family caregivers of servicemembers with TBI. Several recommendations made by BIAA during the legislative drafting process were incorporated into the bill.
The bill would require two pilot programs to be implemented through the Department of Veterans Affairs, improving the resources available to those caring for returning servicemembers with TBI.
In the Statement for the Record, BIAA President and CEO Susan H. Connors noted, “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.”
To view a copy of BIAA’s Statement for the Record on S. 2921, please visit our website at http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.
BIAA Publishes Issue Brief Calling for Official TRICARE Coverage of Cognitive Rehabilitation
Also this week, BIAA distributed an issue brief to Capitol Hill staff highlighting the need for TRICARE to officially cover cognitive rehabilitation. The information paper was accompanied by a summary of the research supporting the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in treating brain injury.
BIAA’s issue brief makes a compelling argument for making cognitive rehabilitation an official benefit within TRICARE, arguing that “A clear clinical consensus has developed recognizing the importance of providing cognitive rehabilitation to patients with TBI, and servicemembers suffering from TBI resulting from deployment deserve nothing less than the appropriate level of care based on currently accepted and widely used treatment modalities.”
To view a copy of BIAA’s Issue Brief on Cognitive Rehabilitation & TRICARE, please visit our website at http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.
BIAA Submits Comments on NIDRR’s Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2010-2014
On May 22, 2008, BIAA submitted official comments to the Department of Education on the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research’s (NIDRR) Proposed Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2010-2014. BIAA’s comments were based on a coalition letter which BIAA signed on to as well, but also included BIAA’s individual recommendations for future research priorities.
To view a copy of BIAA’s Comment Letter on NIDRR’s Long-Range Plan, please visit our website at http://www.biausa.org/policyissues.htm.
